2021

M Mendoza37 Comments

You know it took me almost 10 attempts to access this account; and I even had to check my iPad to double check if my user credentials were right – I got the password right but the username wrong. After successfully logging in, I opened another tab to check my page, my last entry and the date I posted it. Mid-year life update posted on August 2021. 4 months ago. Relatively not so long ago. And if I am not mistaken I “promised” (or not?) to write more and give more updates about my life since you cannot count on my social media accounts for “life updates”, not even an occasional proof of life posts or selfies. I really don’t know why I say that. It’s like every time I post a new entry, I try to fool myself and my readers into thinking that I am finally, for the nth time, going back into blogging. Believe me it’s not just you getting fooled. I do get my hopes up for nothing, too. Well, in my defense, I always get so caught up in the chaos of everyday life. Especially in the past year, where I’ve had several moments when I literally just look in the mirror to watch tears well up my eyes. It sure happens, considering how difficult life has been in the past two years – for everyone. Pretty sure you’ve also had your share of hardships and breakdown moments too. But c’est la vie, as I always say. That’s life. And even without the global pandemic, life won’t ever stop giving us lemons. (But everything would be a whole lot manageable without the virus, so let us not forget to do our part.) And at this point, you’re probably sick and tired of making lemonades out of the hundreds of lemons life’s thrown at you – including those you weren’t supposed to catch, but still did, for whatever reason the universe/He had. But if there’s one harsh truth we constantly get slapped with, that would be the most cliche adage we always hear – life goes on. No matter what.

But nope, I am not here to give you life lessons because I don’t think I have enough to give. I wanted to remind you that life can be cruel but it can be beautiful too. So I am here to share with you my experiences of 2021’s fun adventures and some misadventures through a series of photos and short anecdotes. This is the only time I get to do a somewhat tell-all recollection of my life’s random ganaps and forgive me for keeping mum about most of them but I know you understand my being private. At least there is something to look forward to at the beginning of each year, right? (Let’s not break the tradition, self.) Let me do this exactly how I did it last year. *opens another tab to check my 2020 recap blog post* Starting off with the first month of 2021.

Oh, a photo of me in bed on the first day of the year. #MOOOD

January 13. Brunch.

A random brunch date with my other jowa. This was probably on a Sunday. I always wish I get to do this on a weekday because it feels so nice to eat out in the morning and start the day early.. and not have work for the rest of the day. Putting this one up here just to remind myself that I got to do this once last year. Kidding.. not.

January 14. Hosting Bawal Judgmental with Kuya Wally.

First day and first time for the writers to do a different way in picking the main hosts for the Bawal Judgmental segment. Draw lots. Pretty sure I already mentioned this elsewhere when we started doing it but I don’t think I have told the story about me and Kuya Wally spearheading this new approach.

Before that, let me tell you, keeping this just between us, that I ALWAYS get nervous whenever I get assigned to be a main host. Yup, until now, it always feels like a first time. I hope I am not too obvious but now that I mention it, I am sure you’d start noticing the anxiety tics.

Going back, there’s this huge pressure and anxiety when we’re tackling about sensitive topics for the segment – at least for me. The fear of saying something “wrong” or something stupid makes it difficult to ask more candid questions. That sometimes I end up keeping certain questions to myself because I don’t want to seem too inquisitive. Sometimes, I even have to repeat a question couple of times in my head to make sure I don’t deliver it the wrong way. Like you have to be extra careful with every word that you are going to use to get the right message across. Make sure your questions wouldn’t come off as disrespectful and offensive, in any way, to the guests and to the viewers in general.

Presence of mind, open-mindedness and well-thought-through insights at all times and you cannot have (as I’d like to call it) sabaw moments when you’re up there if you don’t want your sabaw remarks to come bite you in the ass. It’s not easy, I am telling you. I may be overthinking everything I do but it’s better to be sure than be talked about on Twitter for the wrong reasons. And considering the fact that I am not good at conversing and speaking in general – imagine the amount of anxiety I get for standing there for an hour and a half. But I am glad I am getting by and I have the dabarkads hosts to thank for that. Salamat, mga kuyas!

About this photo, the topic that day was about widowers who lost their partners at the age of 35 or below. Almost everyone in the studio ended up crying just hearing the heartbreaking stories of the men who bravely showed up to share their wonderful love stories. And I remember feeling their sorrow for losing a loved one so soon but they also imparted the feeling of happiness to have lived their lives with the women they love, before they were taken away.

And I just had to take this quick selfie to remind me that we did a good job that day. And that doesn’t mean we handled the segment well but we were present – not only we listened but we empathized.

You know Bawal Judgmental isn’t really just about having guests over, asking questions and simply getting an answer. It’s not about having a segment that’s good for half of the show’s airing time. It’s about people from different walks of life, in different age groups, coming forward with unique stories to tell. It’s not easy to tell your life on a stranger, let alone on national television. It takes strength and bravery to stand on one of those body shields and let everyone know about your life story – be it a story of love, relationships, abuse, neglect, survival and all others the segment have featured. The good parts and the bad, the lessons and regrets. Nothing but admiration and respect to those who courageously show up everyday. Thank you for sharing your story.

January 17. Quick weekend getaway with my college friends.

The trip was one for the books – for aaall the wrong reasons. If there’s one thing I am thankful for this day, it was me learning how to play poker and pusoy dos.

January 19. Bench campaign shoot.

Love this shoot. Just wanted to share some BTS photos taken using my Vivo V60.

January 21. Krish and Kuya’s wedding.

What?! It’s been a year?! Time flies! Happy to have Krish in the family. Oh, and another baby Mendoza too! Read the full #KrishLandingOnNico wedding here.

January 25. Gun-shooting deafness.

Back when I went shooting and damaged my right ear. Had some tests done and thankful the incident did not damage my ear drums at all. The partial hearing loss lasted for 2 months and it was because I didn’t use any ear protection when firing shots with a rifle. I don’t know if you noticed some Bawal Judgmental episodes where I cover my ears when the contestant Please don’t be like me. I thought my ears could withstand the noise of the gun but nope – learned my lesson the hard way. Ear muffs exist for a reason, friends!!!!

February 1. Brunch at Tagaytay.

Funny story. It was a Monday and I didn’t have work and I wanted to maximize the day so Jan and I planned to go on a road trip. We ended up choosing Tagaytay as our destination and having brunch there in a spot with a beautiful scenery was our main objective.

Set my alarm at 6 in the morning, picked her up at 7 because we wanted to be there early to avoid the crowd. Went straight to Breakfast at Antonio’s and to our surprise, the restaurant was closed. Sad but it got sadder when the we knew that all restaurants in Tagaytay are closed on Mondays for disinfection. Such a facepalm moment. We ended up ordering at Starbucks Tagaytay and having “brunch” inside the car. Lol. It was fun getting up early and driving to Tagaytay for nothing, though. You know what they say, it’s not always the destination, it’s the journey.

Sharing with you this short video I edited featuring the fun we had in our quick journey to Tagaytay – and our kasabawan, too.

P.S. I was wearing the lap belt of my seat belt.

February 3. The Celeste Tuviera Channel Pilot shoot.

So proud of my Madamchi Celeste for doing this! Happy to be a part of the launch of her Youtube channel/series. Forever in awe of her passion, wisdom and ability to inspire effortlessly.

She just inspires me so much to become better; a better daughter, a better friend, a better partner, a better host, a better individual. If you just know how our behind-the-chair conversations go. She can be a mother, a sister, a friend, a best friend, a colleague – she can be a combination of different things all at the same time and yet do great in all of them. I am grateful to have her with me in my showbiz journey since day 1 and I am thankful for the relationship we have built. I am blessed to have her in my life as my Madamchi. I hope you get inspired by her words and the stories of the people she features on the #Celestified series.

February 9. Bubba guesting on Daddy’s Gurl.

What a lovely birthday treat! Thank you Daddy’s Gurl fam for having Arjo for my/Stacy’s birthday episode. It was a first for us and we don’t mind doing it again, just so you guys know. Lol! It was fun taping for this episode and quite funny because he was nervous as it was his first sitcom guesting. I mean, c’mon, with his acting abilities? Let us not turn a blind eye to it, haters, I don’t think there is any role he cannot do – light or heavy, drama, action or comedy. And I am not even being biased.. okay maybe a bit but still, you know that’s a fact!

February 18. #MaineGoals pilot taping day.

Binondo food crawl and Binondo road trip with Chamy! A lot of firsts! But the most unforgettable has got to be the part where I hit a van while driving the kalesa. Again, no one got hurt, except the headlight of the van.

February 27. Birthday episode taping in Eat Bulaga.

Fun taping day! Felt so loved seeing the cakes that were delivered to the studio days before my actual birthday. Thank you so much for remembering – and for the outpouring of love.

February 28. Virtual birthday celebration.

So interesting to see the ways and adjustments we make to adapt to the pandemic situation. It was fun and heartwarming to still get together (albeit virtually) to celebrate my birthday despite everything. Thanks again to those who made this virtual celebration possible – to the organizers and those who participated. It meant so much to celebrate – and still be celebrated – on my special day.

March 2. Ate’s birthday and my birthday salubong dinner with the family.

Nothing fancy, just an intimate dinner with my loved ones. ❤

March 3. 26th birthday.

Fun day with the family and some friends – all thanks to bubba for the birthday surprise! Thankful for having to spend this day with the people I love the most. Read the full birthday story here.

And as a treat, I would also love to share my birthday celebration with you through a simple compilation of videos taken that day. (You know how much I love editing videos and I cannot not document this wonderful day with my family, friends, and bubba.) I hope this video brings a smile to your face as it always does to me. I just watched it again and I was just smiling the whole time! What a fun day. Thank you bubba for making this happen. ❤

March 7. The day I got addicted to bags.

Yup. I think not a lot of people know this about me (because I never talk about it) but I have been obsessing over bags since last year. And I thought it was just a short phase in my life but guess what? I am still splurging on bags until now. I think the “addiction” came a bit late though, you’d expect this to happen first or second year after getting into showbiz. But nope, I was on my 6th year when my interest on bags piqued and peaked. That Lady Dior bag was one of my first purchases last year and it was my birthday gift to myself. Isn’t it beauuutfiul?

March 21. Coleen and Mike’s engagement.

Wait, I didn’t blog about this?!?!?!?! WHAAAT! I had to scan my page twice to look for the engagement entry and found nothing. Wow, I only realized this just now. It was such a fun night! Everyone was super happy to witness and be a part of this special event. Anyway, let this video compilation from that day tell the whole story! ❤

Redirecting you to Facebook for the SDE video! Paandar!!!

They’re tying the knot this year and we are all excited! Hope the situation gets better by then. I am praying for a wonderful wedding exactly how they want and plan it to be. Congratulations in advance, future Mr. and Mrs. Cruz! ❤

March 27. McDo Pulong Buhangin (Sta. Maria) blessing.

Thankful for this blessing! Despite the pandemic, we were still able to put up another branch of McDonald’s in Sta. Maria. Come visit!

April 17. The one where I was the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons.

It took me a while to decide whether or not to share this one on my blog. You know I have a private Instagram account and I post a lot of personal stuff there. And that day, for some odd reason, I decided to write about how I felt and how that incident affected me.

And today, I have decided to post them here; not really to explain my side but rather show you a part of me that you never really see. Posting the photos with the original caption. Anyway, it was already a thing in the past and I already learned my lesson. If you were personally hurt by my words, I am sincerely sorry and I hope you have already forgiven me.

This is the kind of eyes you wake up with from crying yourself to sleep – coupled with a pounding headache. Ugh, good morning.

Last night, some random group of Twitter peeps dug up my 8-11 year old “problematic” tweets that mostly consisted of me: “hating” on Justin Bieber, not liking Taylor Swift’s Fearless music video, calling my sister “n-gga”, saying a certain caramel frappe tasted like “puke” (as in vomit), quoting Regina George’s famous “she is a fugly slut” line, saying the terms “bading, bakla, gay” carelessly and sooo much more immature, vile tweets my 15-year-old self spewed back when Twitter used to be a place for random tweets and crazy thoughts.

I was bombarded with hate tweets from Justin and Taylor fans and some from the LGBT and woke community for the things I said 10 years ago; accused me of being a homophobe, racist and a mad hater in general. Crucifying me for my decade old tweets as if they were all posted last week.

To be honest, I do not recall myself tweeting those. But I remember.. thinking when I was 13 that I’d end up marrying Justin Bieber because I was nearly obsessed; listening to Taylor Swift songs in high school to get all giddy and kilig; using the n-word because I didn’t know what it meant and it sounded “cool” back then; calling my brother “bakla” for no reason and got used to it – that I still call him that up to this day, still for no reason at all; using third gender terms never to blatantly express homophobia but because saying “so gay” 10 years ago sounded “cool”, too. Ugh, blaming the culture, Internet, and my naive self for all those “akala ko cool” stuff back then.

I apologized to those whom I have offended with my words. Evidently, looking at my past tweets, I’ve made a lot of mistakes and was too careless to give a damn about anyone and anything. I was an angsty, savage, sassy, moody, nasty teenage girl – and believe it or not, I was never proud of it.

The influx of hate tweets got me overwhelmed and I was hurt, I am not going to deny. Thought I was over and done with the bashing phase (AlDub peak) until last night’s brouhaha. And for the first time in a very long time, I felt bullied and helpless that I cried myself to sleep.
Me, an hour ago; trying to brush off the sadness and negativity from last night. Pulling myself together to give everyone a good show – literally. #HelloDabarkads

I did fine; though tears welled up once again seconds before the show started. Even asked our director to refrain from showing close-up shots of me coz I was sooo close to tearing up – a fan would easily notice. It’s been a while since the last time I had to deal with a ‘hold back the tears’ moment; though I’m glad this one only lasted for two shitty minutes. (Years ago I had to hold back my tears every single day for months! But nope, not for the same reason.)

I know deep down it wasn’t because of the personal attacks directed at me. What makes me cry is the fact that I have to force a smile and summon up energy apt for a noontime show, live on national television, when I feel like ignoring everyone and crawling back into bed. But hey, I was able to hold back the tears and get myself in the moment; Kuya Jose and I had a fun banter with the hosts; I gave appropriate reactions to witty remarks; I smiled, I laughed and I got by.

I am not getting into the “I’ve changed/grown/matured” and “our past mistakes do not define who we are” part. You don’t need me explaining about character development, learning and growing in general. We all know that because we all go through that – c’est la vie. I am just glad I am over my teenage years but it sucks that my Twitter account has a complete record of it – mostly the nasties but oh well.

But I’m fine, friends! Thank you for sending me love and support. This is just one of the “issues” I unfortunately had to go through – but I am fine! I’ll be over this in a day or two. I just need to feel it deep within because I love wallowing in sadness by choice. I love acknowledging the feeling and letting it stay, rent-free.

And no matter how long I decide to wallow in it, I know for certain I’ll be over it and I am not looking back. C’est ma vie! I’ll get myself out of bed after a night of ugly crying and get my ugly ass to work because no matter what happens, the show always goes on – with or without me but what the heck?? I’d rather be in it.

Guys!!!! 1/15 update: I had to go back to this part and say this to everyone who just read it (and still worried about me) – I am okay now. It’s been months. I am totally over this incident. Sure, it affected me at that time. I felt bad. I cried. I was hurt. But this already a thing in the past and I have gotten over it long time ago. I appreciate your concern and uplifting messages with regard to this incident but please know that I am totally okay now and this does not bother me anymore. Like I said, I am not proud of the person I was years ago and I have already and sincerely apologized to those whom I hurt with my words. It’s been months and it’s already 2022. Let us move forward, shall we?

May 19. First taping day for Popinoy.

I miss this show so much! It’s been fun hosting the show with Kuya Pao; working with the headhunters – Maja, Kayla, Sir Mitoy, and DJ Loonyo; and of course witnessing the journey of the Pop Dreamers who participated in the show. Yara and Versus were the ones who made it to the top and I cannot wait to see what this industry has in store for the two groups.

June 21. Getting vaccinated!

This is definitely something worth sharing on all platforms – getting vaccinated. A lot of people still have not been vaccinated yet and if you know someone – an anti-vaxxer or just someone who hasn’t gotten the chance to get it – I hope you do encourage them to get vaccinated as soon as they can. If you can help them or if you know someone who can assist, please do refer. ❤

July 30. Eat Bulaga’s 42nd anniversary.

It’s been a long time since TVJ graced us in APT Studio. And celebrating Eat Bulaga’s 42nd year anniversary with them – and the rest of the dabarkads hosts virtually – was something we all looked forward to. Having and seeing Tito Sen, Bossing and Boss Joey together on the EB stage gave me nothing but goosebumps, aside from the awkwardness and intimidation I get just being around them. Tee hee!

It feels surreal and amazing knowing they have been together in Eat Bulaga for 42 years – #legitdabarkads literally since day 1. And I remember sitting on side of the satellite stage, having TVJ in front of us, watching the anniversary AVP, and seeing how far Eat Bulaga has come made me tear up. I realized how blessed I am to be sitting there; to breathe the same air as them; and to be part of the longest-running noontime show. A “What have I done to deserve this?” moment. I always thank the Lord for bringing me there. I am happy and very much grateful to say this everyday, legit dabarkads ako!

August 3. #MaineGirls pilot week!

#MaineGoals first airing day! We were at Ocean Adventure Subic for #MaineGoals taping but we finished just in time to watch our pilot episode! We were just screaming at the top our lungs and laughing inside the room from the opening credits up until the end of the first episode. We had a celebratory dinner at the resort before heading back home – it was a good day!

We were overwhelmed by the love and support that we got since the day we first aired until the last episode of season 1. But we’re coming back for season 2! And I cannot wait for you guys to see the episodes and activities we have prepared this season!

August 18. Random Eat Bulaga day with Kakai and MJ.

Kakai and I have been good friends since 2015 and I was thrilled to have her in Eat Bulaga as a guest host! Always fun to have her around but MJ; I didn’t think we’d click right away and get along so comfortably well! I have found a sister (and a soulmate!) in her after our first getting-to-know conversation in the hosts room. We just clicked.

I love having them around and how they bring their own flavor of funny and sexy to the show. Wish we could all be together soon when we start going live again! Missing these two!

August 29. Simple joys!

I mean if others have pasta, chips, cereals, herbs and spices; I have exfoliants, waxes, butters, fatty alcohols and acids. These are some of the raw materials I use for my experiments! Just wanted to share because seeing them organized makes me happy. Airtight containers bought from Lazada!

August 31. Ate Perly guesting on Bawal Judgmental!

Went home to Bulacan for this! Ate Niki was with her to assist from the briefing until the end of the segment (that lasted for about 4 hours, I think? Thanks, ate!) I was also just by their side to give my support every time it was her turn to speak. Super shy as usual but I am happy she even agreed to guest on the show. Thank you, Pe! Sa uulitin?

September 2. First lock-in experience.

We had to do the lock-in set up in Eat Bulaga because the number of COVID cases was on the rise back then.. and actually now, too. (Please stay safe and healthy, friends!) But it wasn’t like the lock-in shoots for teleseryes and movies because those can last up to a month or two.

For Eat Bulaga, we just do a 3-day lock-in, from Thursday to Saturday. We are live every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and we tape the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday episodes after the live show. We do an “entry” RT-PCR test on Tuesdays and an “exit” antigen swab on Saturdays after the show to make sure we are not carrying the COVID virus with us as we enter and leave our little bubble.

September 3. Kuya Matti’s 6th birthday.

How time flies! Can’t believe he’s already 6! I was sad I wasn’t home to celebrate his birthday but I was so happy to know that he got his birthday wish granted, which was simply to have a breakfast-in-bed on his birthday. If you could only see the how genuine his smiles were when the fam surprised him with a breakfast meal in bed, grabe nakakalambot ng heart! (Just look at the photo!) Thank God they took a video and I got to see his reaction when Ate Pe was bringing in the food. One word: priceless.

September 16. Tried pole dancing for the first time.

For #MaineGoals, yaaas! I really love doing things for the first time in this show. The besties tried different kinds of sports and gladly pole dancing was part of the list. So happy to have Ate Ciara for the pole dancing activity. We had so much fun and I am looking forward to doing it again when I get the chance, with the besties and Ate Ciara pa din sana!

October 1. Chamyto’s birthday.

Prepared a surprise birthday lunch for Chamy with the #MaineGoals fam. Surprise was a success and we made him cry tears of joy.. a bit. Lol! Grateful to have known this genuine soul. Love you, Cham!

October 16. Aria’s birthday.

A tiring (and stressful) day at work but coming home to Bulacan and seeing Aria and the fam just made me feel a whole lot better. I can still remember the stress I had. I was trying so damn hard to hold my tears back because I was in the middle of a shoot.

It was such a taxing week; I had #MaineGoals, Daddy’s Gurl and Popinoy followed by a 3-consecutive-day endorsement shoot. #Blessed and grateful but I was just so physically tired. And if you want to know what I did to calm myself and cheer myself up that Saturday, I ordered a bag and told myself “I deserve this for surviving this week”. Lol!

October 26. Tatay’s 60th.

We planned a surprise birthday dinner for tatay. Wearing uniform shirts with his favorite/most-used emoji *rolls eyes* and his famous one-liner “miski na” (maski na) printed on every shirt.

Welcomed his 60th year with an intimate dinner with the family and some of his college buddies. He seemed to enjoy our pa-senior paandar despite not being a fan of surprises of any kind. Know that you are loved, tatay – miski na alam mo na. *rolls eyes* Thank you for being my number 1 fan since day 1. Labyu!

November 5. Arjo’s birthday.

created by dji camera

Went to Siargao with some friends to celebrate Arjo’s 31st. Went island hopping and toured around General Luna to see the tourist sites but our stay was too short to see what Siargao has to offer. There is so much to see and sobrang bitin because our trip felt like a quick weekend getaway. (Which it really was!) Nonetheless, we had such a wonderful stay and we had soooo much fun! I was still able to edit two videos out of our 4-day stay featuring the gang’s kalokohans! LOL

I really get why some people opt to stay in the island for some time – some even relocate – because Siargao has this different kind of charm and vibe. The kind that makes you want to stay longer to get to know the place and its people even more. Then Typhoon Odette happened. It was so heartbreaking to see how the typhoon have left Siargao (and other parts of Mindanao and Visayas) devastated. Sobrang nakakalungkot. I can’t even begin to imagine the amount of trauma they have been left with. Pero kapit lang, babangon at makakabangon din!

November 29. First taping day for #MaineGoals Season 2

I can’t share much about the activities we did (and we have prepared) but one thing for sure, season 2 is going to be much interesting, much thrilling, and a lot more nerve-racking than the first. And guess what! Yara and Versus will be joining us for the first week! Fun-filled episodes and screeeeeaaams coming your way!

December 8. Finally moved in!

Now this is something I have kept private but I guess it’s about time to let you, my blog readers, know that I finally moved in! Please do not expect me to post photos here or elsewhere (a house feature in some website or magazine) because I certainly wouldn’t do it. Hihi! Perhaps you’d see a glimpse of the house every now and then in some of the photos I’ll be posting in the future but that would be it. Sorry for keeping it private! I know, having my own house would not have been possible without the love and support you have given me through the years but I hope you understand. In time, maybe? But definitely not anytime soon. I’d leave you with, “what you see is what you get” for now!

And by the way, that photo above was me “celebrating” alone with a simple meal while watching the sunset, taken after a long day of moving stuff in the house. It was such a good celebratory #MeTime moment – so simple yet so serene.

December 21. Third ❤

Didn’t go out of town. Had a no-frills lunch at The Wagyu Studio and dinner at The Vubble – just trying out a new restaurant and a different dining experience. Spent the afternoon cruising around Manila Bay – picnic style, with just cold cuts, cheese, wine, me and him. It was a simple yet an intimate anniversary celebration. ❤

And guess what he got for me for our third anniversary??? A medium white double flap! OMG, I was so happy that I cried tears of joy. ❤

December 23. Christmas preps.

Decluttering! And sadly, I didn’t get to buy a Christmas tree this year because I got caught up with work the whole month of December. You know how long I have been dreaming to have a Christmas tree in the house since we never really had one growing up. I know, it would have been nice to set up a tree in my new house but alanganin na din talaga. I was so busy with work and moving in, and I could no longer find a Christmas tree to my liking.

But! Take a look at this makeshift Christmas tree I came up with last Christmas. I Marie Kondo’d all the clothes I brought with me from the condo to my house and ended up with this huge stack of clothes that don’t spark joy anymore. If you are wondering where these clothes went, I donated them to the typhoon victims in Siargao. #sharingiscaring

December 26. Baby Enzo ❤

Welcomed another baby Mendoza today – Nikolai Enzo R. Mendoza! Alam na this, food leftovers from Christmas will be consumed the following day for Enzo’s birthday celebration. Joke lang! But YAAAS, another reason to celebrate during the holiday season!

December 31. New year’s!

I think I have already mentioned in my previous entries that we don’t really celebrate-CELEBRATE on Christmas Day except attending mass and having a simple Noche Buena with the family on the eve of Christmas. But! We always look forward to New Years Eve because that’s when we do fun activities as a family; with the uniform shirts, always in the Pantone color of the coming year (Very Peri for 2022); Media Noche; Monito Monita and gift-giving; fun games; and a bit of fireworks to welcome the new year. It has been like that for a couple of years. Since we can’t travel yet, we’d have to do it the traditional way. But I miss spending the holidays in Japan!!!! Nonetheless, NYE is always fun for as long as you’re with your family – or any event for that matter.

Before I end, I just want to put this one out here – my best 2021 discovery: Desgo hotpot!

Best one I’ve ever had in the country. (Comes close to Taiwan’s hotpot, legit!) Their spicy broth is simply the best! Look for this quaint hotpot hotpot restaurant in Makati and thank me later! They do take out and deliveries too! #obsessed #IKYK

That pretty much sums up my 2021. How was 2021 for you? Sure, it’s been a crazy rollercoaster ride just like 2020 but hey, don’t forget to give yourself a pat on the back for surviving another crazy year.

Despite all the lemons life threw at us, we still made it through. We do what we can to offer everyone something better than a just simple lemonade. An ice-cold lemonade! Lemon bars. Lemon sorbet. Lemon meringue. And even if there are times when we find it difficult to come up with something great out of lemons, never forget that we can always garnish any meal with just a slice of it. And sometimes that’s enough. (I hope this one made sense LOL) Big or small, all efforts count!

There are still so many things to be grateful for and if we could just take a moment every day to focus on them rather than the ones that bring us down. And while we are at it, let’s say a prayer not only for the situation to get better but for everyone’s strength to get through life’s challenging times; for our sanity to remain intact amid chaos; for the healing of the sick; for protection of the vulnerable; for those who are suffering physically, mentally and spiritually to receive proper treatment; and most importantly, for our faith in God to remain strong in times of adversity and uncertainty.

After all the shit we’ve been through, there is nothing else to look forward to but better days. Remember, life can be cruel but it can also be beautiful. Take breaks. Breathe. And indulge yourself in things that you enjoy and make you happy. Life is short; I think we already know that by now. So LIVE and enjoy life whenever you get the chance to. And I hope you find joy in life’s simple pleasures too!

First sundown of 2022.
Love getting home before the sun sets. Seldom happens but I am glad I made it home just in time. Savored the last few minutes of daytime on the first day of the year. Brother went up and asked him to take some “new year” photos of me. A flock of birds then showed up and for three seconds I thought I was as carefree as they seem to be. It was a brief moment of absolute delight. It felt wonderful to look up at the sky; to catch sight of birds zipping around; to smile; to laugh; to enjoy the simple pleasures in life. Dean might have missed the chance to take photos of the birds but he was able to capture sheer glee. And I love, love, love how these three photos, in some way, depict an unadulterated children’s story.

❤

Happy New Year and I hope you get to welcome 2022 with open arms regardless – and with masks on, still.

Mid-year Life Update

M Mendoza27 Comments

Hi guys! Welcome to my blog – welcome back to us! It’s been 4 months! And I gotta say those were by far the busiest months for me this year. As mentioned in my last entry, I am going to be HELLA BUSY this 2021 and I assume you already know why. But before we get there I just want to ask, how are you all doing? How have you all been? I hope you and your loved ones are physically, mentally and emotionally well.

ECQ Season 3 (as some would call it) just began – in light of the rising Delta variant cases in the country – and some of us are back to the work-from-home set up, including us in the entertainment industry. Live shows, shoots, tapings are prohibited in the course of this Enhanced Community Quarantine to hopefully reduce the spread of the virus, especially the Delta variant that is so highly contagious. It’s getting scarier by the day but I hope you are all taking extra measures to take care of yourselves, your loved ones, as well as the people around you. I hope we could all do our part in limiting the spread of the virus and help alleviate the burden of our medical frontliners in ways we can. As we always remind the dabarkads everyday in Eat Bulaga, “Kung wala naman importanteng gagawin sa labas, huwag na lumabas.”

Now that live shows and tapings will resume hopefully on the 21st and now that I am back here in Bulacan, I wanted to take this chance to blog and write about the recent happenings in my life. I will try to cast my mind back to the moments worth sharing (even those that aren’t) just to share with you some anecdotes about my daily life and the projects I am currently working on. Let’s tackle it one by one, starting off with:

#MaineGoals – a vlog-like travel, adventure show aired in BuKo (Buhay Komedya) channel, the first-ever 24-hour comedy channel to grace our local televisions – produced by Cignal TV and APT Entertainment. In a nutshell, the show will feature a series of exciting adventures, new experiences, fun moments and goals achieved filled with loud screams and excessive laughter. There are just so many fun and interesting things to watch out for in this show and I cannot wait for you guys to see all of it.

I am soooo happy to be doing this show with the best team and the best-ieees! I am grateful to be part of the roster of shows for BuKo’s launch, along with Kusina Ni Mamang and other comedy classics. I never really thought I’d get to have my own show wherein I could explore new places, try out and learn new things, overcome my fears and create wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. I love how this show practically documents our adventures – and some of our first-times that are worth-remembering – because we can always look back to the fun moments we had in #MaineGoals and laugh at our kalokohans, kasabawans and kagagahans.

Sharing with you some photos taken by our “Cam 5” (Ate MJ using Vivo V21 and X60) and some activities to expect in the coming weeeks. Starting off with our pilot week’s nature appreciation goal.

Trekked to Mt. Sambong and Mt. Kulis at Agno Fresno and Eco Tourist Campsite. As someone who hasn’t been fully immersed in nature, I surprisingly have come to realize that one of the things you can do to cope with stress during this pandemic is to take a walk in nature. If things get overwhelming and you’re deluged with negative emotions or if you’re just feeling the need to go out and breathe some fresh air, a bit of hiking will do you good.

From Rizal to Bulacan! We enjoyed some fun activities at San Rafael River Adventure too; the ATV ride, floating bridge challenge, giant/river swing experience (my favorite!), paddle boarding, and the highlight of our trip – the banana boat ride. Lol I am sure you want to know the story behind it, especially if you are one of those who wondered why I skipped paddle boarding.

  • The ang-sakit-ng-tagiliran-ko pose
  • ..pero awra!

Okay so since I am fond of sharing random stories of my life’s adventures and misadventures and I have always been pretty much open about what happens when the cameras aren’t rolling, I am going to tell you the reason why I did not do paddle boarding with Chamy and Chichi. Wait, natatawa na ako kahit wala namang nakakatawa.

Here goes, before we do the banana boat ride, we all agreed that Chichi would be the only one to fall off the boat. Of course, one person falling off a banana boat is practically impossible. (Unless that person’s grip isn’t strong enough to make it through a 15-minute “cruise” around the river) Or I don’t know, a lot can happen during a banana boat ride but the motorboat [operators] towing the “banana” predominantly have control over everything, especially on how calm or rough you want the ride to be. Chichi agreed to be the only person to “tumble” off the banana and she was very much aware that she had to do it with her crazy antics. So we instructed kuya operators many times to not flip the boat. We fell twice; first one wasn’t so bad and the second one wasn’t so good.. to say the least. Ahhh it really is all fun and games until someone gets hurt.

I am not sure if the speed boat took a swift turn but it kind of felt like it did. We were all thrown into the water for the second time and I could not remember if I landed on my back, side or chest because I really couldn’t think about anything anymore as I was in real pain and was already mentally freaking out. The impact was so bad that when I emerged from the water, I literally couldn’t breathe and thought I was having a heart attack. Yup, that feeling lasted for about 2 minutes then I remember taking deep breaths to calm the mind and the body. And it kind of worked! But I was still in pain, ugh.

Aaron, our assistant director who rode the boat with us, came to my aid swiftly, disregarding the discomfort he had from the sudden drop. (Thanks again, Aaron!) I immediately made my way back to base through the rescue jetski and rested for a few minutes – while Chamy and Chichi proceeded to the paddle board activity. Everyone was hurt but I got hurtest.. anudaw?! Lol I hope that answered the question as to why I skipped paddle boarding.

My torso (particularly the side part) was badly hit that I literally couldn’t get up from my bed for 3 weeks, I am not kidding. I had to slide my back down the mattress just so I’d get myself off the bed every morning. Thank God it was nothing so serious. Sila kuya kasi eh, char! But really, no one’s at fault; the impact was just too strong for the pain to linger for three weeks. I did not go to the hospital to have it checked, I just said to myself (and the people worried about my condition), “Mawawala din to.” Lol, the pain eventually did go away – but I had to bear it for three weeks – kaya #WagTularan.

Despite the unfortunate incident, time spent at San Rafael River Adventure was fun. The place is nice with lots of activities to enjoy with friends and family. Perfect for staycations too as they have villas and cottages (with private pools!) to accomodate large and small groups. You should really check the place out, click here to know more about San Rafael River Adventure.

  • Yes, bestie?
  • Ang pait ng mukha ah?
  • Our SATC moment, char!

Next goal: Farm life! Went harvesting at Green Panda Farm in Bulacan and tried rice farming at Maharlika Agri-farm in Rizal. So many first times! First time to taste dragon fruit, macopa and ampalaya. (See how it all went this week!) But the highlight would definitely be the rice farming experience.

Had the chance to harvest rice manually with a sickle and through a harvester. Got to prep the rice field for planting using a tractor for the first time too! Loved the experience but I cannot imagine how farmers do it everyday. Also became conscious of the sad reality that they are not properly rewarded and compensated for all the hard work they do. It’s sad kasi from my one day experience, talagang magtanim ay ‘di biro. And to think, walang walang walang walang walang walang walaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang wala x100000 pa yun. Saludo talaga sa lahat ng magsasaka.

Binondo tour and food trip! Went around Binondo on a kalesa and learned how to ride and operate the horse-drawn carriage with the help of Mang Gener! This was our first taping day for #MaineGoals and it was really fun not having Chichi around. Char, nagbakasyon sa Dubai si batluuuuh. #IbaDin It was my first time to man a kalesa and experience being a kutsera. I’d like to say everything went smooth but being a natural jinx, of course, there was another unfortunate incident that wasn’t caught on cam. (Disclaimer: NO ONE GOT HURT)

While preparing for our arrival at the post office, I prompted the horse to walk backwards and failed to stop him so I ended up hitting a van. I refused to look at initially because I didn’t want to see how big (and how bad) the damage was but thank goodness it was just the headlight. I can never forget the crushing sound of the *whatever material headlights are made of* because it sounded like I mangled more than just that. But whew, what a relief!

We also visited one of the oldest noodle houses in Binondo, Masuki Mami House (also known as Ma Kong Mami back in the 50s). Ms. Willen Ma, the owner, shared a lot of interesting stories about the restaurant and their famous noodle soup. You’d be surprised to know how they make their noodles! Aba, nangabayo kami ULIT ni Chamy!

We also went to the famous Eng Bee Tin store and made hopia from scratch! Thanks to Sir Gerik Chua, the owner, for being so game to do it with us and for keeping up with our kalokohans!

  • Processed with VSCO with j6 preset

Island living at Isla Verde, Batangas. Definitely one of the most beautiful beach spots in Batangas. Primitive yet idyllic. A secluded paradise with clear blue waters and rich marine life – I am glad to have seen it with my own eyes. Aside from our challenging yet fun skindiving experience, it was really nice to get to know the locals of the island and hear their stories.

It was a pleasure meeting Gela Petinez, a conservationist (and our forbearing diving coach), who shared her advocacy and passion for marine conservation and weaving strong community engagements among the locals of Brgy. San Andres, Isla Verde. She has developed a close bond with the locals of the island and aims to conserve marine life through fisherfolk empowerment (Batang VIP) – all initiatives driven by passion and dedication. It’s amazing to meet a woman like a her who dedicates her time and resources in helping people, spreading awareness and conserving the ocean.

Art appreciation week! Went to the art capital of the Philippines (Angono, Rizal) to see the famous Angono murals, Balaw-Balaw restaurant and Art Gallery (tried their exotic food and made our own Higantes), Nemiranda Art House and Museum, Lakan Tattoo (where Chichi and Chamy got inked for the first time), The Blanco Family Art Museum (museum tour and painting 101 with Lemuel Blanco, grandchild of prominent painter Jose “Pitok” Blanco). Then segued to Wabi Sabi Ceramics in San Juan for pottery workshop.

Happy to be given the opportunity to immerse ourselves in multiple forms of art. Given that art is everywhere and we’re surrounded by it, there was something about this experience that made me appreciate art in general and artists of all forms so much more.

Sometimes we admire art solely for its “beauty” without realizing there is so much more than what meets the eye.

We also painted our very own #Mainegoals wall mural! Yaaaas besties! You can find this along Dona Elena street in Angono. If you are headed to Nemiranda Arthouse, you’d spot this right away! And if you do, please take a photo and share it with us!

Zookeeping and animal “trainer” experience. Gave some “guests” a tour around Lyger Animal Sanctuary in Pililia Rizal. The sanctuary houses domestic and wild animals of various species; from goats, horses, camels, oranggutans; to alligators, puma, tigers, lions, and ligers (a hybrid of tiger and lion). There’s a lot to see and a lot to discover in this animal sanctuary.

From Pililia Rizal we headed to Subic Zambales to visit the dolphins, sea lions and some terrestrial animals in Ocean Adventure. We had a really wonderful time here, you’d know why. We were able to see and discover the behavior of sea lions and dolphins. (Thanks to the trainers for making us feel super safe to interact with the animals.) Dolphin show was amazing – definitely one of my favorites. Too bad we weren’t able to swim with the dolphins because that would have been so much fun! Next time!

These are just few of the many things to look forward to! We are just getting started, besties! I am excited to take you all with us as we go on fun adventures and interactive experiences every week. I hope you enjoy our show and I hope we are making your week nights far more interesting than before.

Watch #MaineGoals exclusively on Cignal TV and Satlite Channel 2. For subscription inquiries, visit cignal.tv. You can also watch the show live (7:30pm and the 11:30am replay) on the Cignal Play app for FREE until September 30. Follow @FeelGoodSaBuko on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more updates about the show.

PoPinoy – the search for the next generation Pinoy pop stars.

Grateful for the opportunity to work with TV5. Happy to be hosting the show with Kuya Pao. Thrilled to have gotten the chance to work with our headhunters. And proud to witness the journey of our Pop Dreamers as they work their way to the top. I am just glad to be part of this show and be part of the our Pop Dreamers’ journey.

We are currently down to Magic Pop 7 boy and girl groups and I cannot wait to witness more of what these kids can showcase on the PoPinoy stage. With the help of our headhunters and the Pop Academy I am sure they’ll get to develop their techniques, gain more confidence, overcome their fears and truly reach their full potential. The challenges are getting tougher and the headhunters are getting stricter by the week. Who can handle the pressure and prove they have what it takes to progress further in the competition? Let’s find out sa pagbabalik ng.. PoPinoy! *breaks into song* Ipakita sa mundo ang galing ng Pinoy, ipakita mo sa PoPinoy! Cheret.

P.S. Please do not expect a song or dance number from me because I certainly wouldn’t do it. Haha!

Catch us every Sunday 7pm on TV5. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more updates. Also, do check PoPinoy’s Youtube channel for more behind the scene videos and to get to know more about our Pop Dreamers. Don’t forget to hit the subscribe button!

Grateful and honored to be a Smart girl! From being a TNT endorser way back in 2015 to this? What a dream come true! This is by far one of the biggest blessings this 2021 and I am just so happy to be part of the Smart family! Love how I can proudly say.. Simple, Smart ako. Ahhhhh surreal!

Enjoy a simpler and smarter way to pay with GigaPay x PayMaya on the GigaLife App. Buy load, subscribe to promos and get rewards! Learn more about #SmartGigaPay here.

Daddy’s Gurl.. with a twist! We’re cooking something new for you, for a change! Not sure if you noticed we were dressed differently during our last week’s taping. I don’t want to spoil anything but I am sure you’d be surprised with our little paandar. Can’t promise to write about it before it airs, I just hope you enjoy this fun episode! Coming real soon!

That’s about it! I think I have already shared quite a lot to make up for my 4-month absence! So.. see you on December? Cheret! I really want to allot a bit of my time for blogging but we all know that NEVER happens. And with my schedule now? Heck, I couldn’t even give myself a decent 8-hour sleep. But please know that I am trying. I am actually glad I finished this life update blog! Even if I am not an “active” blogger at the moment (was I ever?), I will try to share at least photos of our activities to give a little tease (ooh, that rhymed!) – if not here, definitely on Twitter or Instagram. (I am trying to be a little active on my social media accounts pero try lang ha. Lol!)

I hope you understand how busy life is for me at present – I know you do. And I know I am not alone; everyone has a lot going these days. Some days are hard but there’s always hope in tomorrow. Kapit lang tayo, mga siz. I hope this blog entry made you smile. I don’t know if spoiling the upcoming #MaineGoals episodes was the right thing to do but I really just want to give you more things to look forward to. (Ooooh, that rhymed again!) I also don’t know if this is a good time to post this entry (it’s already 2 in the morning!) but I think this is a good treat as we start a new week. (Uy! Ano.. nag rhyme din yun. Haha!)

Leaving you with this photo of happy Aria making fun of her Tita Maine as she writes her mid-year life update. I made it through. Have a great and productive week ahead, everyone!

P.S. May isa pa akong surprise! Malapit na! Wait for eeeeeeeeet.

Life Lately x 26th

M Mendoza33 Comments

Yep, I can spare a few hours today for another entry. (Because I honestly don’t know when I’ll get to write again, so I am taking this chance.) But I am kinda torn between writing about my 26th birthday and a Life Lately.. so I guess I’ll just write both, in one entry.

As much as I hate using the “As you all know” lead-in (because I use it all the time, alongside “it’s been a while”), I’m gonna have to use it again this time because as you all know, I have been working on some stuff lately. I may not be “promoting” them yet and it’s because they are still in the works – and I’d have to wait for the go signal and the promo materials, of course.

But yes, I am currently doing 3 shows at the moment (Eat Bulaga, Daddy’s Gurl, #MaineGoals) – while the other one will start in two weeks. I believe some of you have been seeing BTS photos and videos from our shoots and you might already have an idea about the shows I am going to do/going to be part of. By the time these projects are officially out and announced to the public, I promise to write about them and perhaps give you a brief overview of the 2 TV shows you need to watch out for.

For the mean time, let’s all patiently wait for the announcement and watch Eat Bulaga every day and Daddy’s Gurl every Saturday. (We’ll be airing fresh episodes starting April, yaaay!) You can also squeeze in a quick music sesh in between breaks. If you’re feeling stressed and in need of some relaxing tunes, streaming Lost With You would perhaps be a good idea. (It’s available on these music streaming platforms: Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer and Amazon Music)

Don’t fret if you aren’t registered to any, here’s the official lyric video of my latest single from Universal Records. Composed by Jimmy Borja, Judy Klass, and Jacob Westfall; and produced by Ito Rapadas. Hope you like the song! We’ll be shooting the music video soon, too! #SaktuhangPromotionLangHehe

What else? Funny how I thought I’d get to write A LOT about my life lately until I had this realization that the stories I wanted to share are not meant to be dished out on my blog.. for now at least. Anyway, I guess it’s time for the birthday part!

Just to make it a bit different this time, let me start by thanking those who remembered and spared a bit of their time to greet me on my special day. Thank you all so much for remembering! ❤

To my family, friends, management, colleagues, and supporters, thank you for making me feel special and loved. Thank you for showering me with love in my good and bad days; for standing by me when others walked away; and for being with me in this journey every step of the way. A thousand thank yous may not be enough but I want you all to know how thankful I am for the love, understanding and support you unconditionally give. Thank you very much. ❤

And to those who spent for cakes this year, thank you all so much too! Every cake, regardless of its size and design, was very much appreciated. It is always nice to see the display of cakes during someone’s birthday, but it is always the thought that counts. The fact that people went out of their way to show you extra love (and be extra sweet) on your special day – and how it was all done out of love. ❤

Not to brag to my casual blog readers or anything but my supporters show me their birthday love in their unique, heartfelt ways. Some through posting a compilation of edited videos, creating all sorts of fan arts, sending customized cakes, making personal video greetings, boycotting the shows I am part of and sooo much more. Whatever way you choose to show your love and support – be it my birthday or on regular days – know that I am grateful for you. Thank you all so much for everything. ❤

Apart from my Eat Bulaga celebration, my management (All Access to Artists) also had a birthday surprise planned for me. I was obliged to attend “Toktok’s thanksgiving dinner” – ??a social gathering?? – amid the pandemic. Lol! It was funny how they talked their way through convincing me that I had to be there. I knew it wasn’t a thanksgiving dinner, I just didn’t want to tell the people around me “Ramdam ko birthday surprise ‘to sakin..” to avoid the embarrassment I would have felt if it really was an actual thanksgiving dinner. I kept telling Ate MJ before going out of the car, “May nararamdaman ako pero hindi ko sasabihin.” – she knew what that meant. And that’s just my way of spoiling things for me and for trying to ruin the surprise for everyone. A total buzzkill, right?

It was a virtual birthday celebration with my supporters from all over the world, with surprise birthday greetings from my friends, colleagues and some of the people I look up to. Organized by my management, with the cooperation of my family, friends and fans – everything was done successfully. I was impressed at how my management mounted the whole thing. Setting everything up and getting everyone together for one night to celebrate my birthday was AMAAAAZING!

Thank you AAA for the surprise birthday celebration/”thanksgiving dinner”! We appreciate the effort to give us this #NewNormal birthday surprise this year. You made me and my supporters happy with this one-night birthday celebration. And to everyone present that evening (regardless of the internet connection/video and audio quality), thank you for celebrating my birthday with me and my family. Your virtual presence and paandars (video greetings, song and dance presentations) were very much appreciated. Please stay safe wherever you are.

If you want to see how the #NewNormal birthday celeb went, the management covered the whole event to share with you all. Enjoy!

Moving on to the actual birthday celebration..

I seriously had nothing planned for my birthday. I thought a simple birthday dinner with my family and a few close friends would be enough to celebrate my 26th year of existence. Given the situation we are in, throwing a party is just so wrong on many levels. That would be the last thing I’d do for my birthday, next to not celebrating at all. I spent days thinking about my celebration; counting the people I wanted to share my special day with. But nada, I still didn’t come up with a concrete birthday plan.. I thought I had more time to think of something until one morning I woke up saying, “Seryoso ba March na?”.

Even if I ran out of days thinking of safe ways to celebrate, I knew Arjo wouldn’t let my day pass without doing anything. Not that I ALWAYS assume that he’s ALWAYS planning something.. but knowing him, he has his ways to make any special occasion EXTRA special. And knowing myself, I also have my ways of figuring things out.. well, sometimes. (I love guessing games!) But I just love that he never fails in pulling off his surprises – he never (accidentally or deliberately) drops a hint. Like he has mastered the art of surprises.. and I am not surprised at all.

The morning of my birthday, I thought Arjo had planned a quick out of town trip for us – like a spa date at San Benito for a pamper-day-birthday. Maiba lang. He didn’t mention anything to me, we just went on a 2 1/2-hour car ride going South. We stopped by Punta Fuego and thought we’d have another boat ride to some place (ang labo nung boat ride, bakit ko naisip yun?!), I had no idea where we were off to. But Arjo was going in and out of the car and told me couple of times that he was waiting for a certain lady to lead us somewhere. We were parked for 30-40 minutes and I had no idea what the “surprise” would be and didn’t bother figuring it out because I was busy replying to everyone. I just waited.. but I was certain it would be just the two of us that day.

Until he went back to the car and started driving somewhere, without uttering a single word. He opened my window (that I didn’t notice) and stopped by a house and there they were.. my family and my Daddy’s Gurl friends screaming “HAPPY BIRTHDAAAAAY!!!” at the top of their lungs… then I saw little Aria going around. UGH, my heart. ❤

(Seeing Aria after a long time always feels like seeing her for the first time. Long time = 2 days or more lol)

That boy was me when I saw everyone that day. I was so happy! I was surprised! I couldn’t believe they made it to Batangas to be with me on my birthday. (….uhm, but my family made it to Palawan last year??? #satruelang) Because I was with my family the night before and nobody accidentally spilled a thing – that was way more surprising. I was sooo happy. Thank you Arjo for, once again, getting my family and friends together – and for, once again, pulling off a successful birthday surprise.

We spent the afternoon boating around; taking photos and relishing every moment. The day ended with a lovely dinner with the fam and friends. And guess what? Kuya Oyo and Ate Tin graced my birthday dinner too! They were supposed to arrive in time for the “surprise reveal” but something came up, hence the late arrival. Nonetheless, I was sooo happy to see them and celebrate this year’s birthday with a different set of friends. I have been wanting to spend some quality time – outside work – with some of the few gems I found in showbiz; and my birthday seemed to be just one of the perfect days. I am grateful for their presence and the gift of friendship. Thank you, geysh. ❤

For the last time in this entry, thank you Arjo for the birthday surprise. I love how you always include my family and friends in your birthday paandars. You don’t know how much it means to me to be with the people I love on my special day; as well as to my family and friends for being part of your surprises. Indeed, no material gift can top the presence of your loved ones. Thank you bubba – for everything.

I am grateful for you; for all that you are and all that you do.

Thank You Lord for this wonderful life and the people I get to share it with. ❤

#KrishLandingOnNico

M Mendoza29 Comments

Let me start with my usual blog intro, it’s been a while.. 3 months-ish? Well, I have been pretty busy with work these past few weeks and I really couldn’t squeeze in some time for blogging. But thank God for today, I finally found (and made) time to write. There are so many things I want to share with you. Given that I am not active on my social media accounts anymore, I feel like I owe my supporters some life updates through my blog. (Sorry for being inactive for three years now lately!) As you all know, this is what I call my “safe space” and I’d rather share photos and actual stories here than elsewhere. Hope you forgive me for my minimimal social media engagement. ✌️

So today, I am going to share a bit of what happened last January 21, 2021. It was my brother’s wedding – Remata-Mendoza nuptials. (Ang old school ng nuptials!) The ceremony took place at Our Lady of Ephesus Chapel in Bella Rosa Gardens Silang Cavite.

Krish (the sister-in-law) and Kuya opted for this fairytale-like, whimsical-themed wedding with red and rose gold accents. The whole event was organized and done with COVID protocols in place. The couple had 50 guests, mostly just family members and a few close friends. Everyone took the essential precautions and made sure that physical distancing was observed throughout the event – from the church ceremony to the wedding reception.

Sharing with you some photos from the official photog, Law Tapalla.

THEIR LOVE STORY: They met at a flight to Japan 5 years ago, literally thousands of feet above the ground. Krish worked as a flight attendant while Kuya was just one of her passengers at that time. I do not know how things went from there but that’s where it all started. (I am a bad storyteller. Lol!) I always forget to ask Krish if there was a meet-cute of some sort, just like what we see in romcom films where couples simply just bump into each other, then voila! A serendipitous encounter that led to romance. As if meeting and getting along with someone is that simple, no? Though a small percentage of what happens in a typical romance film can happen in real life, they still do not portray real life romance accurately. Everybody has their own love story; and it’s amazing how one story is totally different from the other.

As a firm believer of fate – and as a sucker for chick flicks – I looove how Krish and Kuya’s story began. Meeting someone special on a plane seems to happen only in movies; you wouldn’t actually believe it happens in real life – but it does. How I wish my brother had the looks of Ashton Kutcher because that would have been perfect. Lol!

One of the moments that touched my heart was this exchange gift thing between the bride and groom where Krish gifted Kuya with the love letters she had been writing to her future husband since she was a kid. It just showed how much of a “hopeless romantic” she was until she found the one, my brother. I mean, that’s also something you only see in movies. My heart swelled when Krish’s sister handed the box full of letters to my brother. And at that moment, I can only wish one thing for Krish – may all the desires of her precious, longing heart be filled with so much love by my Kuya. She deserves it.

The evening reception was hosted by Markki Stroem and Lyn Estoque. The night was filled with so much love, fun and singing. Markki serenaded the newly weds and the guests with a medley including Michael Bublé’s hits; the performance was amazing, people around the area might have thought Michael Bublé was actually there. He was that great, I am not kidding.

But hey, aside from Markki’s compelling performance, the special guest of the night took everyone by surprise – including the bride!

Soul Siren Nina serenading everyone with her greatest hits (and Krish’s favourite songs) was definitely one of the highlights of the night. She sang Eric Benet’s The Last Time for the newly wed’s first dance too! (It was one of Kuya’s surprises for Krish that day.) She was taken aback by the surprise appearance and astounding performance of the Soul Siren, she ended up bawling her eyes out. Everyone was singing to Nina’s famous hits as well, it was such a lovely moment. And Nina? Ugh, walang kupas. One of the best!

Everyone had a wonderful time at the wedding and reception. It is always so nice to witness two people in love consecrate themselves before the Lord. It is always an honor to get invited to weddings. I couldn’t help but always think, it is one thing to find the person you want to spend your life with, and another to actually spend the rest of your life with him/her. What a blessing. Given that marriage is not all rainbows and butterflies; at the end of the day, it will always be about being with your person and choosing that person every single day of your life.

I would love to tell you more about the wedding, but it would be best for you to hear from the bride herself. Their wedding got featured at #RealWeddings of Metro.style where Krish shared stories about the planning and all that wedding stuff. Get to know more about the newly-weds HERE!

To cap off this blog entry, here’s the Same Day Edit video of #KrishLandingOnNico by The Spark Series. Ughhh I love wedding SDEs, they just never fail to make me tear up. (Feeling bride ka, ghorl?!) I mean, weddings are just so precious and magical. I wish to get married one day, too!

Congratulations, Mister and Missus Mendoza!

2020

M Mendoza54 Comments

I remember back when I was a teenager, holidays felt a whole lot different. Apart from the fact that Christmas season is my favorite time of the year, I always looked forward to writing my New Year’s entry. I don’t know why, I guess I enjoyed writing so much when I was younger; especially during Christmas vacations and term breaks coz I got nothing else to worry about. I remember writing a New Year’s blog was one of my priorities and how I’d start composing the entry three days before just to make sure I got everything written. I’d usually write about how my year went; the lessons I have learned; my most unforgettable experiences; the things I look forward to and all that – just me capping off the year with a long-ass blog entry.

When I couldn’t get my fingers to type, I end up posting random photos from my gallery to give my readers a glimpse of my year – and then that was it. And since I know for a fact I am no longer that chatty blogger as I was before and I am way past the “reflectation paper”-like blog entries, let me do something different this time. I’ll meet my 18 year old self halfway. I’ll share some photos I haven’t posted on my public accounts and share short stories about them – a quick run-through of my 2020. Sounds exciting to me as I only thought about this literally JUST NOW and I have no idea what photos I’d share to my readers. This is gonna be fun! Let me start scrolling back to the beginning of the year.

Oops, my first photos were taken on February. Sorry!

February 1: Sheena’s bridal shower

It was a fun night! I think this was the first bridal shower I attended to. I was a bit anxious meeting some of her friends but they were all nice and cool; everyone was up for the activies, games and all that. It was fun! Things got dirty – literally, coz some of us ended up playing with the cake frosting – but everyone had a good time! It was Sheena’s last night to get “naughty” before getting married and I think the Bridesmaid’s team pulled it off successfully. Kudos to her closest friends for the whole prep! The former-bride-to-be-now-a-glowing-mommy was so happy!

Feb 20: McDo Guyong (Sta. Maria Bulacan) Branch Opening

Another blessing for the family! But hey, this branch isn’t a full-scale Mcdonald’s store. It’s a fries and sundae bar to cater the gradeschool students around the area. I mean, I don’t know about you but when I was in gradeschool, Mcdo’s coke float and fries combo was THE bomb. #simplejoys #simpleliving #simplegirlwithsimpledreams

February 24: #MaineForMac 2 Private Launch

Grateful for this another lipstick collaboration with Mac Cosmetics; blessed to be given this kind of opportunity; and proud to be the first Filipina MAC Maker and the first-ever MAC Maker who got to create her own lipstick twice. I’ll be 5ever grateful for being part of the #MACMaker history and I must say, this has got to be one of my life’s greatest achievements. I honestly don’t think any future collab can top this one. I’ll never get tired of saying this, I AM A PROUD MAC MAKER FOR LIFE!

#CONFESSIONTIME: I kinda had a lot to drink that night. I just couldn’t calm my nerves I had to resort to taking a few sips glasses of Moscato. #BawalJudgmental I was too anxious to show up sober; my knees were literally shaking and I was already having a hard time breathing. And guess what, I woke up the following day regretting all that I have done. I was too perky (as seen on videos) and I shamelessly danced all night – ugh, what a shame. I was too frisky to act normal. (I guess I was just trying to enjoy the night I forgot there were other people in the room.) The realization creeped in a day later. I texted some of my guests/friends and apologized for my drunken cringey behavior. I just never fail to embarrass myself, it should be considered as one thing I am REALLY good at. I’m sure my *~intoxicated~* self had a really good time – but it was my sober self who sufferred from the ensuing embarrassment.

Feb 28: Parang Kailan Lang music video shoot

It went fine but it was too awkward for me – or was I too awkward for it? The latter, yup. I honestly didn’t think I’d do this, ever. I mean, pretending like you are in a music video when you’re inside a moving car while it rains may seem emotive and fun but shooting an actual music video felt extremely weird. I think the fact that I am not a legitimate singer contributed to the feeling of awkwardness, hence my evident look of discomfort in the video. If you haven’t seen it (as much as I hate to embed the video here) here’s the Parang Kailan Lang music video. It was an experience, after all! And a really nice song, written by Eunice Jorge from Gracenote. Enjoy…?


March 3: My 25th birthday!

I had the chance to have a mini birthday celebration in Eat Bulaga. It was nice and simple and I enjoyed watching my brother Dean play in #BawalJudgmental and laugh at his overly-contoured face. I am also thankful to everyone who remembered my birthday and sent their greetings, wishes and cakes! It was overwhelming.

Fun fact: I have always wondered how celebrities feel when they celebrate their birthdays and recieve many cakes – and wonder even more what they do with all of it. (Am I the only one here?) It’s just amazing how people have different ways to shower you with love especially on your birthday – not just through cakes but in all other ways.

March 5: 25th in El Nido

A surprise birthday trip planned by Arjo. I thought it was going to be just the two of us but he arranged a surprise family and friends get together in Palawan. The friends arrived on the first day then the family followed the next day.

We were supposed to travel to Sapporo but the news about the pandemic in Japan blew up days before so we had to cancel. I was sad because I had everything planned already (I always do the trip preps!) but was surprised to know Arjo had a back up “surprise” plan. And to be honest, I wouldn’t have my 25th birthday spent the other way! I am glad to have spent it with my family and friends in one of my favorite places in the country – El Nido. (Isn’t it obvious?)

And I know, it’s been years since the last time I edited and shared a personal video here. So as a year-ender treat, let me share this special and memorable birthday video with all of you. I know it’s been months but the ~feels~ never really go away; I hope you enjoy watching this video as much I (always) do.

ECQ & GCQ DIARIES

Random photos taken during the lockdown. Mostly just me babysitting my pamangkins and all other random stuff I’ve done at home. Let’s see if I come across some interesting photos I haven’t shared before.

Just me giving my nephew a quick and messy manicure. Lol! He calls it “birthday nails” because he blows his nails – like birthday candles – right after I apply polish on them – don’t we all?

This has been keeping me busy since April. I think you already know I’m trying to work on something since I have mentioned it couple of times already; and I think showing this photo just gives you another clue. #Oilbularyo #RoadToTita

I had a pleasure of joining this (exclusive) weekly Writing and Directing class by Direk Irene – a good friend and my #lodi mentor. Unfortunately, I was only able to attend 4 of her classes since EB live resumed a month later. Still, I learned so much from her and it only made me realize how bad my script was. (The Morning After) Well, there is always room for writing improvement and story development!

I know I’m not the only one.

Made it a habit to come home to Bulacan every weekend since Eat Bulaga live show resumed last June. I took our formal dining area and converted it into my office – where I spend most of my time at, up until now.

Lola mode! Haha it’s Aria’s turn for a messy pedicure!

June 8: Back to work!

A whole lot of adjustments were made but we were all glad to be back in the studio. Missed these guys so much!

This is what you get from sliding on a railing just cause you’re bored.

June 26: Zalora feature #NewNormalPhotoshoot

First time I got to style myself for a photoshoot. When Zalora asked me if I was willing to be part of the Big Fashion Sale campaign – I said yes, because as a Zalora shopper for almost 10 years, the offer was was a no-brainer. It was fun and tiring – but definitely an experience! See my Zalora /Covers feature here.

July 19: I got a new car!

I finally got a decent, cute car for myself! Did a few modifications lang para astig pero cute pa din – just like me. Walang kokontra, sasakyan ko to!

August 2: Drive-in cinema for the first time!

Watched Train to Busan 2 in SM Pampanga’s drive-in cinema. It was awesome, I’ve always wanted to try this but I don’t think we have it in the country until the pandemic happened. I enjoyed the movie so much because I had the speakers in my car set up so the horror movie drive-in experience was epic!

September 3: Matti’s 5th birthday

Our simple celebration for Matti’s birthday at home. Just the fam and the best tita coming home to give him the best presents, of course. Charet, but me being the best tita, not charet.

September 7: Color-coordinated oufits

I don’t know if you notice – or if you even watch Eat Bulaga regularly – but it amazes me how our outfits match most of the time! (And how we always notice it when we’re on stage already!) Like this one – black and denim day. Luvette.

September 26: KitchenAid dream!!!

It has always been my dream to own a KitchenAid mixer since I was a teen! Told myself I wouldn’t get one until the day I actually need it. (It would be useless to purchase one just because; and I couldn’t afford it back then.) I finally gave in to the decade-long urge to purchase my very own KitchenAid mixer – in my favorite color! I am so happy!!!

October 12: WIG WEDNESDAYS

The day I started wearing wigs in Eat Bulaga. Thanks to Kuya Pao for sponsoring my very first wig! Taray ng blue! Now I already have 7 wigs with me. (Growing collection, mars?!) So if you see me sporting a different hairstyle in the show, you know what it is. #KalmaNa

October 14: Bench Virtual Fashion Show

Another first time! Glad to be part of Bench Fashion Week Virtual Fashion Show this year. Really honored to be the show-ender but I’m sure you noticed how stiff I walked. Well, it was because my shoes were big and I had to stuff tissues inside to avoid an accidental Cinderella moment. Whew.

But thanks to everyone who showed their support!

November 5: Arjo’s 30th

30th birthday calls for 30 gifts! Char, paandar ko lang yan. He always gives the BEST gifts and surprises #KungAlamNiyoLang – so it was my turn this time! He was so happy – and seeing him happy made me extremely happy as well. But guess what I wrapped those gifts with…

Gift wrappers with his awkward/funny photos printed on them! Thanks Google! HAHAHA

December 4: Arjo won the Best Actor award!

A well-deserved win, indeed! One of the best actors of our generation winning BEST ACTOR in Asian Academy Creative Awards. Arjo Atayde getting the international recognition he deserves. (Yeees nemeeeen, pa-fan sign lodi!) I couldn’t be more proud!

December 11: Sleepover with the pamangkins!

A night with the kids at the condo because I haven’t seen them in weeks! Shoutout to Eyey (Ate MJ) for babysitting Aria and Matti.

December 17: EB Christmas Party

Only about 50 people were present in the studio, the rest of the EB hosts and staff were streaming through Zoom. New normal didn’t stop us from celebrating Christmas, sabi nga tuloy ang Pasko for everyjuan!

We are grateful for many things. And that day, I was thankful for the power of technology (that got us all together to celebrate the holidays despite the pandemic); the safety of everyone in the show; and me winning P20,000 in our annual Christmas Party raffle. Lol seriously though, we’ve been blessed and we are all thankful for many things. Maraming salamat sa pagsama sa amin araw-araw, solid dabarkads!

December 21: Second ❤

Isa Pa With Feelings FINALLY streaming on Netflix!

December 25: Christmas Day

I don’t have any Christmas photos with me because we don’t really celebrate Christmas Day – not even Noche Buena, sadly. And I honestly envy EVERYONE when it’s Christmas time; as hearing mass on Christmas Eve has always been the ONLY Christmas tradition of ours. Would you believe, I have NEVER – in my 25 years of existence – experienced having a Christmas tree in our house? Yep.. and I can’t wait to move to my new home (hopefully this year) and spend the holidays there the way I have ALWAYS wanted.

Anyway, we normally celebrate on New Year’s Eve; hearing mass, wearing uniform shirts, exchanging gifts/gift giving, etc. Then I rush to Manila after all the New Year’s Eve festivities because no one can skip work on the first day of the year.

And…. We’re done! Woah, I can’t believe I am sharing this much to everyone. But I hope you enjoyed reading this New Year’s entry! And I hope this post is enough to make up for my social media “low-keyness”. (Tee hee, I love being low-key!) But this was fun! I think I am actually gonna do this every year – a year-end recap since I don’t post and share on my social media that much. Yeeess! Just like this new thing going on Instagram “Post a photo/video of” kineme but I’ll do it on my blog instead. I feel safer here.

But hey! We are ONE DAY away from 2021 and I just want to ask – how was 2020 for you? Share your stories on the comment section below! (Wow, vloggerizst ka ghorl?!) But seriously, I’d love to know how you managed to get through this year’s wild ride.

2020 may have been difficult for everyone but there are still so many things to be grateful for. And I hope we all get to have a moment to just thank the Lord for all the blessings despite the series of unfortunate events that transpired this year. Let us all pray for a better year – a better 2021 for everyone. We deserve it for making through 2020. All will be well in time, #KapitLang tayong lahat.

For now, let us all have a safe and fun celebration in welcoming the new year! Happy New Year, everyone! ❤

The Sunday Currently vol. 12

M Mendoza35 Comments

I’m just here because I want to do something that wouldn’t add to the amount of stress I am under right now. I cannot even STRESS how STRESSED I am for next week. There are so many things to do and I honestly don’t know how I’m going to get through all of it. Don’t get me wrong, work is work; and I am grateful that I still have work despite everything. It’s just I feel like I have a lot on my plate this coming week and as much as I want to stop myself from over-stressing, I just can’t. I mean, my schedule’s been pretty balanced since work-after-ECQ started, I just hate how loaded next week is for me. Not complaining though, it just overwhelms me. It’s not the laziness or the physical exhaustion, it’s the mental and emotional tension that I am experiencing everytime I think of all the things that I have to do.

Thinking about Monday and all the things I need to do until Sunday comes – my only rest day next week – just makes me go crazy. I need to let this out; in the hopes of having some kind of relief and assurance that I’ll get everything done gracefully – hopefully not letting this frustration get through whatever I am going to do.

CURRENTLY 

Reading
**I am not reading anything but I am stressing over everything.**

Writing
this rant on my blog for everyone to see. Lol, I am just trying to let off some steam. Everyone gets stressed out of something; modules, deadlines, meetings, etc. Mine just happens to be my workload next week which is (I believe) pretty normal for a 25-year old normal human being.

Listening
to the steady sound of air conditioner in my room. (Buti pa yung aircon steady lang)

Thinking
of ways to calm myself – that’s the best I can do for now. It’s frustrating how I am spending this “rest day” stressing over things for next week. I was expecting a Netflix and chill Sunday or a sleep-all-day day but nope, I just can’t stop myself from roaming around my room to get my mind elsewhere. Gladly, I ended up in front of my laptop and decided to write something – unfortunately, still about the stress I am trying to get away from. Who am I kidding?

Smelling
my fart coz I just farted literally 2 seconds ago. Whew, this stress is making me too honest.. and disgusting. TMI, self.

Wishing
for (next) Sunday to come quick!

Hoping
my stress to magically disappear tomorrow by the time I wake up – or tonight before I hit the sheets. I hate starting off the week feeling frantic. Y’all notice how things don’t go our way when we’re in a bad mood? That happens to me all the time. I guess what you throw out to the universe really goes back to you. With my workload next week, I cannot afford to take in some more negative energy. I have enough in my system right now and I aim to get rid of this negativity within the day. You have 10 hours to get yourself together, self.

Wearing
my sleepwear. I love wearing my pjs and snuggling in bed the whole day.

Loving
that I am already on my third day of menstruation today. TMI again but whatevs, excuse my brutal honesty in this #SundayCurrently entry. According to my menstrual diary, my period is predicted to set in tomorrow – but it came earlier than expected which is actually a really good thing. Because you know me when it’s the time of the month, I cannot get myself to function properly. My cramps are UNBEARABLE every freaking month.

Visual representation of me during my period.

My cycle trivia: There used to be a 1-month break (in my 12-month cycle) from the excruciating pain, and that went on for like 3 straight years?? and I always look forward to that month but I don’t know what happened coz I get REALLY BAD cramps now every single month. My uterus must think I am a strong woman after all the pain I’ve been through, huh. “No more breaks for you”, says the evil uterus.

So imagine if I get my period tomorrow until Thursday, then OH MY GOD I am very sure I’ll be a walking (or crawling) disappointment at work.

Wanting
to feel relaxed. A whole body massage would be great. Sayang coz our helper in Bulacan gives a really good body massage and that’s one of the things I look forward to every time I come home to our house during weekends. Sad because I decided to stay in today and not go home this week. Next weekend, perhaps? Well, that is if I get the chance to come home……

Needing
I don’t know, a chill pill or something? Coz I obviously and badly need it.

Feeling
stressed and overwhelmed. Aside from my workload next week, I just realized I also have a lot of things to work on and fix before November comes. Personal stuff. It’s only October 11 but we know how fast time flies. November is just around the corner; few more weeks til Christmas time; and yet we are all here uncertain about so many things. I hope we all get to celebrate our small achievements despite all uncertainty. And I hope we get to have wonderful holidays, still.

That’s it for today’s entry of “What’s stressing you out?” Sunday Currently. I hope you are all having a wonderful Sunday. And if you are just like me stressing over something big or petty, I’d say… this will all pass. You’ll get through that physical, emotional or mental struggle you are currently facing. All will pass and all will be well.

Let us all take one day at a time. *deep breaths x732469*

Join The Sunday Currently link-up by siddathornton!

The Secret.

M Mendoza68 Comments

I think this is a good time to write about this. Since a post about my old tweets went viral on Facebook recently. (Wow, famous ka gh0rl?!) All because some of my tweets from 7-10 years ago about random things and dreams actually came into being. Let me share the post here in case you haven’t seen it so you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Those were just random tweets but looking at it now, I actually find it quite amazing. Casting my mind back to those days, it’s weird how I actually believed that I am going to be an “artista” one day. I don’t know where the feeling came from, all I know is I secretly wanted to be an artista and I’ve told some friends about it – both seriously and jokingly. Though I wasn’t totally open about that “dream” of mine since I thought it was something impossible for me to become (and achieve), so I just constantly joked about it.

I remember giving Ola (one of my college best friends) my 2×2 picture every time I get an ID photo taken, always with a note on the back saying: “Wag mo ‘to ilabas kapag artista na ako.” weird, annoying and funny notes on each 2×2 photo that he never really asked for. (I just loved surprising him with my photos in his wallet. Lol!) Then there was this one photo with a note that goes “Ito pwede mo nang ilabas kapag sikat na ako.” Who would have actually thought, right Ola?

I have always been a believer of The Secret – the Law of Attraction. I never read the book (The Secret by Rhonda Byrnes), I just saw a documentary about it when I was 13 or 15 and it wasn’t something I took seriously. However, the complete idea of it seemed really interesting and amazing.

Law of Attraction, in layman’s terms, is the notion that you can actually get what you want and be who you want to be if you visualize it and believe that you can (and you will) have it. It states that we have the power through our minds to turn our thoughts and ambitions into our realities. Like as humans we are constantly putting our thoughts and emotions out into the universe in different ways and we (unknowingly) attract back similar energy. It’s not a magic trick and there are no rituals required. And it’s not something that you can simply decide to do whenever you feel like it, it’s more of being that person that exudes positive energy. I believe it begins with being optimistic; changing your life by changing your mindset; believing in yourself and the things you are capable of and all else will follow.

“Determine resolutely to expect only what you desire, then you will attract only what you wish for.”

– RALPH TRINE, IN TUNE WITH THE INFINITE (1897)

I believe that anyone can manifest the life they want through the Law of Attraction – plus hard work and perseverance, of course. It’s a complex topic and people have different views and approaches on it. It’s really interesting and I suggest you read about it because it might work for you if you actually try living through it. Here are two different explanations that I got from an article online that might make you understand how and why Law of Attraction works:

The Spiritual Explanation: Many people believe that the Law of Attraction works by aligning God or the Universe with our wishes. We are all made of energy, and our energy operates at different frequencies. We can change our frequency of energy with positive thoughts, especially gratitude for what we already have. By using grateful, positive thoughts and feelings and by focusing on our dreams — rather than our frustrations, we can change the frequency of our energy, and the law of attraction brings positive things into our lives. What we attract depends on where and how we focus our attention, but we must believe that it’s already ours, or soon will be.

The Traditionally Scientific Explanation: By focusing on attaining a new reality, and by believing it is possible, we tend to take more risks, notice more opportunities, and open ourselves up to new possibilities. Conversely, when we don’t believe that something is in the realm of possibilities for us, we tend to let opportunities pass by unnoticed. When we believe we don’t deserve good things, we behave in ways that sabotage our chances at happiness. By changing our self-talk and feelings about life, we reverse the negative patterns in our lives and create more positive, productive and healthy ones. One good thing leads to another, and the direction of a life can shift from a downward spiral to an upward ascent.

It’s amazing how we can make use of the Law of Attraction to attract anything and manifest goals. It’s going to be different for each one of us but it can definitely bring change to our lives if we make it a habitual way of being.

Like I told you, I was a believer but I never took it seriously. I believe that it works but I never really fully relied on it. I mean, I am the most pessimistic person I know to begin with. However, deep down there is this bit of optimism and hopeful side that people don’t always get to see. But it’s there. It’s always just right there.

Going back to my mundane life years ago, just to give you an idea of how I used to be before the surprising TV appearance. (If you’re not a fan and happen to come across this blog.) I wasn’t the girl who knew what she wanted to become. Given, I wanted to be an artista but again that was totally out of the equation as I never saw the possibility of it. I never planned on auditioning for shows/TV networks after college. (But it happened because doors were opened and I am glad where it led me.) I was more of the laid-back kind who would simply go wherever life takes me because at the age of 19, I still didn’t know what I really wanted to be. I had plans but it was (as sad as it may sound) for the sake of having plans after I finish school; in the hopes of finding something I would love to do and eventually knowing what my “purpose” in life is. I just wanted to do something and make my life worthwhile despite all uncertainties.

Right after finishing high school, I planned on being a flight attendant because I thought my skinny figure would pass for a stewardess. In college, I took up Culinary Arts instead of Tourism because I thought it would be an “edge” to be a graduate of another hospitality-related course. The idea of finishing school and having new responsibilities / “adulting” kind of scared me. Imagine graduating college without knowing what you want to be. And the amount of sermon I thought I’d get from my parents was even more frightening. Seriously though, I was terrified at the implication that my life was meaningless – because I had no passion for anything. Even if I had plans, I was scared that I may not find something I would LOVE to do. And doing something you don’t love eventually leads to a miserable life. And I cannot imagine living a life that doesn’t make me feel alive.

I was – and still am – a laid-back person. I’ll go wherever life takes me but that does not mean I am not going to do anything with my life anymore. I guess it was just my way of figuring out what (career) path I was meant to take. Thing is, I have always believed that everyone has a purpose in life. And I accepted the reality that it might take a while for me to figure that one out. I knew I wasn’t the only one struggling to find their “place” and purpose in this world and I didn’t want to pressure myself into figuring out what’s next. I know (and I believe) I will eventually be where I am meant to be. Though to be honest, it’s still early to tell if I am meant to stay here but since God led me to this path, I know that I am meant to go through this journey. I am only 25; I still have a long way to go. Who knows what the future brings? Still, I don’t want to pressure myself into figuring out what’s next for me. I guess I’m still the same young girl going with the flow of life. But I am grateful and glad that almost everything in my life is falling into place – in ways I never really imagined.

Life moves in different directions, and my life led me here. From my jokes of becoming an artista to actually becoming one. Crazy. It was Law of Attraction and fate combined, I believe. Do you believe that things happen for a reason and we are all destined to do something and be somebody? If you do, we are on the same page. As said on my tweets yesterday in response to people’s reactions to my old tweets becoming a reality:

Law of attraction✨ At (siguro) kung para sayo talaga ang isang bagay, anuman ang mangyari mapapasayo ‘to. Minsan gusto natin andyan agad-agad, pero talagang may tamang panahon para sa lahat ng bagay, kaya dapat matuto tayong maghintay. 😊

Minsan medyo matagal pero pagdating ng panahon baka ikaw rin at ako cheret makakamit mo din yan. Nakakapagod man (at nakakainip) minsan pero huwag mo bitawan. Patuloy kang mangarap at maniwala pero shempre matuto din tayong tumanggap ng mga bagay na hindi para sa atin.

Mararamdaman mo naman kapag hindi talaga para sayo ang isang bagay, pero hindi ibig sabihin non ay wala na tapos na. Merong ibang bagay na nakalaan para sayo at sana kapag dumating na yung tamang oras para doon ay buong puso mong tanggapin ‘yon sa buhay mo. 😊

I think I’ve said some important truths about life; through my totally random tweets that unexpectedly manifested years later. There is a right timing for everything; trust the universe and more importantly, trust Our Lord. We may be uncertain of the future but we must believe that He has a plan for all of us. Sometimes even better than the plans we have for ourselves.

Continue to dream big. Believe in yourself. Believe that you are capable of achieving big things. Don’t stop believing. Hold on to the feeling. Char, not char! Send that feeling out to the universe and let the universe respond to it. Practice optimism. Keep doing what you love. Work hard. Celebrate small achievements. Accept failures. Don’t be hard on yourself. Take breaks but don’t stop. Walk at your own pace. Trust the process. Trust His timing. Enjoy life. Bawal tumawid, nakamamatay. Live. Laugh. Love. (wow, ang cliche.)

Continue to dream and hold on to it. No matter how big or impossible you think your dreams are, believe you can achieve them – because YOU CAN. If others can do it, so can you. Life has ways of surprising us when we least expect it. Just like what happened to me, I never imagined I’d be here – but I am here. I had other plans but God has way bigger plans for me. I believe everything was meant to happen, no matter how many times I/we question(ed) it. And I am not going to be the only one to go though an unforeseen *literal* life-changing experience. What happened to me can happen to anyone. And you don’t have to tweet about it. Just dream, believe, survive. Starstruck, char.

Things (and the universe) may not always go our way/be in favor of us and that’s okay. Three reasons: a.) it’s part of life and we have to go through it – the challenges, hardships and failures. b.) it’s not the right time yet c.) it’s not for you. And if something is not for you, learn to let go and move forward. You’ll feel it, I don’t exactly know how but you will. Whatever that is, you will know when enough is enough. No matter how much you (consciously or subconsciously) refuse to accept it, you’ll know it deep down. Sometimes we take time moving forward because we get stuck in a place, latching onto something that’s not for us. (But I guess that’s normal as we all experience it at times.) If you ever find yourself (stuck) in that kind of situation, I hope you find the strength to let go of whatever’s holding you back because believe me there are better things waiting on the other side. And don’t blame yourself that it didn’t work. You tried, it’s just not for you. And it’s not your fault.

Life is not a race; it’s a journey filled with ups and downs, struggles and victories, confusion and uncertainties. Don’t pressure yourself too much. Live life at your own pace. Don’t get discouraged if you’re taking a bit more time than your peers. You take as much time as you need, just make sure you are moving forward. It’s not a matter of how quick or how long you will get or achieve something. Don’t let other people discredit your personal and career progression and your achievements just because you have a different approach, experience, and background. Just don’t.

I kind of experienced it during AlDub’s peak when some people actually told me and made me feel that I didn’t deserve what I was having because I did not go through the hardships of a “baguhang artista”, and that others deserved the adulation and “fame” more than I do. While I agree, that others – especially those who have been trying and working so so hard – deserve way more than they are given, I don’t think it’s right to go off disparaging “newcomers” just because things turned out different for them. To be honest, even I feel the same way too; that I do not deserve the blessings being bestowed upon me. But I believe all these are part of God’s plan and that I am meant to take on this journey – well, for now. I am blessed to be given all that I have and grateful for every single thing. I couldn’t help but think of Bobbie every time someone tries to tell me (directly or indirectly) that I shouldn’t be here because I don’t deserve it.

Let us be happy for other people’s achievements. Let us also try to celebrate ours too – no matter how big or small they may be. Stop comparing your journey to others and don’t feel insecure just because you are experiencing things differently. We are all different individuals; and no life is the same as the other. C’est la vie. Some people may try to bring you down but always remember to live above them. Don’t be hard on yourself just because others are hard on you. This is your life and you have full control of it. (Unless you are a minor or you have super strict parents then I think you have to compromise at the moment. Hehe! We’ve all been there.)

It may seem that others have it easier and better but we have no idea what’s really going on in their lives. We only see what people choose to show; at times, we only see what we want to see. Let’s be gentle with each other and not be judgmental of people, their journey and their struggles. We are all just humans, after all. And we all aim to live a life we can be proud of. 🙂

Uhm, butong pakwan, anyone?

M Mendoza61 Comments

Uhm, hi. This is weird. It feels weird. I don’t know how to start. I honestly don’t even know what I’m going to write this time. I guess I just want to say hi to all of you. Welcome? It’s weird because I couldn’t find the words to describe how I feel. It’s like I’m literally in the spotlight, timidly standing in front of everyone – dumbstruck. I have been staring blankly on the screen for minutes now, trying to figure out what to say, trying to get my fingers to type but there’s really nothing. I feel like this entry is going to be a meaningless one; just me going around in circles without getting any sensible point across.

Since we are all here in my “safe space” and everything you see and read in here are all truth and real, I guess it’s just fair for me to be completely honest about how I feel. No more beating around the bush, let’s get to the point of this blog entry. But first, let me get my butong pakwan because I’ll be needing my comfort snack as I write.

Gotcha. #notanad

Gosh, I hate this new WordPress default “block editor”. Makes things complicated. Is there a way to bring it back to the old version? Okay now I am distracted, I am eating way too much butong pakwan. Let’s get back to the point, shall we?

Okay, how do I start again? Fudge. This is getting funny and annoying at the same time. Why can’t I get myself to write? Ooh right, because it feels weird and different; knowing that quite a lot of people have already found my blog. Let’s start from the beginning, I went back to writing/blogging back in March – during the first month of the ECQ, while I’m here at home living the bum life. I think you already know that. I thought it was the perfect time to revive my old blog and write again. There is a reason why I decided to use this blog and not the public one (mainemendoza.com), I think I have already mentioned that I wanted to turn back to my roots. I believe I also mentioned that I am loving the long-lost ~serenity~ in this place.

I love how quiet this space is, just like how it used to be. I felt like my teenage-self again, casually writing about anything, without giving a single damn in the world. There was this kind of comfort in knowing that only a few people knew about this blog – just like the old days. Page views from random people from different parts of the world; random comments from strangers appreciating my entries; being unaware that some of my friends actually read my blog; incognizant and unconcerned of the bigger world out in the World Wide Web. It was different. And writing on this blog made me relive my days of unadulterated blogging.

You might think I am overreacting but there is this inexplicable joy of being able to write again. I honestly can no longer remember the last time I felt this way. I also didn’t expect that I’ll get my fingers, my mind, and my heart to write again. I just love how I get to express myself best through the written word. I think you know how bad I can get when I open my mouth to speak – I am just really not a good speaker. And for some reason, I cannot express myself well and clear when I talk. When I open my mouth, my mind freezes. It has always been that way and I hate it. I don’t know if there is something I can do about it but no matter how hard I try, I just cannot thoroughly express my thoughts about certain things. I always end up making a fool of myself in front of people. Again, I HATE IT.

Anyway, I think it was two days ago when I woke up to the “news” that people have found my blog. To be completely honest, I was upset the whole morning. Like a montage movie scene, when the actor stays dazed whatever he/she does and wherever he/she goes. Tulala is the term. Tulala pagkagising. Tulala habang umiihi. Tulala habang naliligo. Tulala habang nasa sasakyan. The tulala series ended by the time I reached my workplace. I can’t be inattentive at absentminded at work, it had to end at the parking lot. Just like Mara from Isa Pa With Feelings, the only difference is I am a better driver than her.

But yeah, it made me sad. It was because the person who felt the need to share my blog on Twitter took no notice of my only request to keep things “between the two of us”. I know it sounds lame but some people took it seriously. (Thank you, guys!) It is somewhat close to the feeling of having a friend betray you. (Now I am overreacting lol but it kind of felt that way, tbh.) When you open up to someone and be surprised one morning that people have been talking about you for hours – all because that “friend” divulged to everyone all these things you not-so-privately disclosed to her. It’s like discovering and gaining access to someone’s “diary” by accident. (An open diary if there’s such a thing.) It’s either you take a look at it, read through it and come back from time to time to see how the owner is doing OR you take a look at it and let everyone know about it. I don’t know if I am making sense here but I hope you are getting my point. I just love the idea of having “anonymous readers” here on my blog. I guess I was taken aback by some people’s excitement.

You might think “..but your blog’s on public of course people will find out about it one day”, sure, but I kinda wish the person who found this page didn’t share it to everyone. Like if you found it, hello, welcome! I’m back to blogging, let’s enjoy the boring content here. Let other people find my page in their own way, something like that. I know some of you will say, “You better set your page on private instead if you don’t want people reading your blog.” Now this part I don’t think I can properly and clearly explain. Basta. I love writing for strangers. I want to rekindle the intimate connection I used to have with my blog readers. I want to connect with random people through my stories. I don’t want my entries to get talked about by people just because. I long for the connection, not the attention.

I was just expecting for people to find out about this blog at a much later time. Well, some things arrive earlier than expected and I guess it ain’t that bad of a thing. Just gotta accept things for how they are. I hope you don’t get upset that I spilled my “unexpected blog discovery” sentiments here. (Buzzkill, right?) It’s my blog after all and that’s what I normally do here – share some of my #UnfilteredLifeSentiments / rants. I hope it’s not too late to give you a warm welcome to The Pessimistic Optimist Bella.

I am no longer going to request to keep things private (it doesn’t make sense now) but just please.. if you can refrain from tagging me on Twitter about my entries because it feels weird and awkward. I don’t regularly check my social media accounts anymore but when I do, I always get surprised by random things. I hate it.

There has been a series of unfortunate events lately that involves disclosure of confidential information and content, and I am trying to get a grip on myself. Hope you understand. This is it for now, I think I was able to say what I wanted to say in this blog post. I know some of you have been looking for “Maine updates” for quite some time now and since I am not active on my social media accounts, this “blog discovery” brought joy and excitement to you. For that reason, I am glad. I hope my blog updates are fine and enough for now and I hope you respect the things I choose to share here and things that I don’t. Let me take this chance to thank you all again for keeping your love and support for five long years. I appreciate the things you do for me, may it be just watching Eat Bulaga everyday and/or staying up late every Saturday for Daddy’s Gurl. Please know that I appreciate your continuous support.

And since we are at it, let me get this other thing off my chest. SKIP THIS PART IF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES SEXIEST THING AND IF YOU DID NOT VOTE FOR ME. THANK YOU SO MUCH, PLEASE PROCEED TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH. I just want to know why the hell did you keep on voting for me as the Philippines Sexiest this 2020??? I was like, WHAT THE ACTUAL F—? How did we get there? I mean, let’s be real here: aside from the fact that I don’t deserve a spot on the list, I am not going the pa-sexy route – like ever! Sure, I post beach photos from time to time but that does not mean I want to be recognized as a sexy star one day. Like, it’s super cringeworthy. I don’t see myself being proud of a title like that. I wanted you all to quit casting votes but I didn’t know how. Should have blogged about it, pehaps. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the time and effort spent on voting day and night but (excuse my language) that shit ain’t for me. I’d be happy to bag the Philippines Cutest 2020 title if ever, though. But not this, please. I really hope this is the last time. Haha, sorry I just had to.

Okay, I think I’ve said a lot already. Again, if you are a supporter, thank you for the love and support. I appreciate all of you even if I am not very vocal about it. Let us all wait and see what the future holds for me – definitely not the Philippines Sexiest, that I cannot accept, ever. If you are still on board, let’s continue to enjoy this journey I’m still in. For non-fans and casual blog readers, I hope you keep up with my occasional rants about my life and other random things. This is just me being a girl and a normal human being. I hope you enjoy reading my entries. I hope you are all well and safe as you read this. Always look after your physical and mental health. Always wash your hands. Keep an alcohol with you at all times. Wear your masks and face shields. Disinfect your phones. And always pray at night.

Let me also remind those who haven’t registered yet! Let us all do our part as responsible citizens of this country. Let’s exercise our right to vote on 2022.

Good night and I hope you are all having a good weekend. 🙂

5th year.

M Mendoza38 Comments

Time flies! And this time I am not talking about me blogging again after a month or how it is already July. I am talking about me “celebrating” my 5th year in the showbiz industry today – 4th of July! Ahh, I cannot even begin reminiscing everything that has happened over the past 5 years. All I know is everything went by really fast. First off, I cannot accept the fact that I am already 25 – I wanna be in my early 20s forever if I could. Well it does not really matter as I still act like an 18 year old. But time cannot be stopped, we’d all grow old whether we like it or not. And there is nothing much we can do but make the most of our time in this world. If you are young (or feeling young), enjoy your youth. You will never be younger than you are at this moment. Live everyday. Feel alive as much as you can.

Now I don’t know how to start talking about my five years in the industry. What else is there to talk about? My life has been pretty much an open book. Well, not really.. but that’s how it was 2 or 3 years ago until I decided to keep some things private. But I am back now, though that does not mean that I will be sharing everything about my life here on my blog but I am sure you noticed how I have been sharing more here than anywhere else. And I honestly don’t know what I am going to share this time. Thing is, I don’t plan what I am going to write. I write when I feel like it. And I feel like cyber-celebrating – or at least sharing – this special day with all of you, dear unknown readers. I don’t know if some fans have already discovered this resurrected blog but as far as I can see, my supporters on Twitter are still telling me to blog which clearly means they haven’t. It’s just weird how I get a fair amount of blog views everyday, I mean.. who are you guys?

Anyway, I am veering off the topic again. Let’s talk about the 5 years I spent in the industry. Since I don’t know how and where to begin, let me just use the questionnaires for my Facebook live session tonight. (I’ll be going live on Facebook at 8pm for my #MAINEANNIVER5ARY celebration since that’s all we can do for now given the #newnormal situation.) Anyway, sorry for preempting the program flow but this is going to be for my blog readers. Of course I will be sharing a lot more here than I’ll probably do later during the live session because I have the freedom to share as much as I want. Not that I am restricted from sharing my thoughts and personal anecdotes to my Facebook live viewers; I just feel more at ease sharing stories in this space – that’s how I used to do it, anyway. Also, it would be nice to have my stories written and posted on my blog so that my readers – who aren’t part of the “Maine society” – will also have the chance to get to know more of me. Not that they have to but I guess that’s why they/YOU are here.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane.

July 4, 2020: I remember waking up so early (I think it was around 5am) because I had to travel from Bulacan to Rizal for my Eat Bulaga stint. It was my first day and I was hella scared and nervous about that day. I didn’t know how things would turn out for me. I was thinking about so many things: “What exactly am I gonna do?”, “How are my family and friends going to react?”, “How are my schoolmates going to react once they see me making faces on TV?”, “What exactly am I here for?”. There were so many questions going through my head. I wasn’t entirely happy – as the anxiety overpowered the joy – but I remember being so grateful to be given the privilege to be seen on national television. I got there around 9 or 10? It was early and the crew were just starting to set up the place for the show at 12nn. I was alone; observing the people and the environment. When the artists (JoWaPao) arrived at the place, I was asked to sit at the able with them. I was super shy and I didn’t know how to act normal. I was mentally freaking out every time someone came up to me. I remember Kuya Pao and Kuya Wally asking me how everything started so I told them this whole Dubsmash series that I (shamelessly) did.

And then the show started and everything was a blur. All I remember is how nervous I was the whole time. The whole experience was different for me. I think if someone else was in my place, he/she might have taken it as a moment to “shine”, show off and whatnot; but not for me as I was trying to take things in. It was overwhelming to be in a totally different environment doing your “thing”. And in that moment, my only objective was to survive – to get it all over with. I mustered my non-existent confidence to be there and do the things I was instructed to do. “You had been doing it online, what’s the big deal?”, you might ask. Doing and posting the Dubsmash thing online was totally different from doing it on TV. I mean, sure, either way anyone can see it. But I WAS ALWAYS ALONE when I took those videos; and this time I had to do it LIVE on NATIONAL TELEVISION. Aside from being seen by millions of people from their TVs, there were also hundreds of people in the location watching us in the flesh. And I wasn’t even sure if they were familiar with what I was doing. I think that was like the “beginning” of the short-video-sharing era. And Dubsmash, along with Vine, weren’t like Tiktok today that almost everybody knows and uses.

It was like a huge step for me to take. Aside from it being a commitment, the fact that I’ll be seen [“making faces”] on the longest-running noon time show was nerve-racking. And the idea that my friends, family and the people who personally know me – who had always seen me as a “shy girl” – will get to see my “crazy side” on TV was kind of embarrassing. I mean, I definitely have my crazy and makulit side but not everyone gets to see it. Even my parents didn’t know how weird I am until I posted my videos on Facebook. (Though I always had this habit of making faces when I get scolded.) In other words, only the people I am close with know about that crazy-fun(?) side of me and I am usually one of the quiet ones in the class. (Except in high school, lol!) And I am not kidding when I say I really am a timid and shy girl in person – until now believe it or not. I am sure my schoolmates and teachers got shocked the moment they saw me in Eat Bulaga as Yaya Dub. But hey, that was already five years ago!

So that was me trying to take things in on Day 1, but none of it really mattered as not everyone gets an opportunity as big as this. Even if I was clueless and uncertain about what I was getting myself into, it was something that shouldn’t be declined or missed. I honestly had no idea how and where my life was going from there but I knew for certain that my life was set to change that day.

I am not sure if I have already shared that story here on my blog before but that’s what happened five years ago – that’s basically how I started. I think I’ve written about my audition story, too. You can try looking it up!

Next, let us talk about the movies I’ve done/was part of in the past 5 years. I don’t think I have ever mentioned them here on my blog so let me take this chance to share some anecdotes about those few films.

My-Bebe-Love-Kiligpamore-Official-Poster

Starting off with My Bebe Love (December 2015), that was the first film I got to be part of. A Metro Manila Film Fest 2015 entry with Bossing Vic Sotto, Ms. Aiai delas Alas and Alden Richards. I was nervous doing it as everything was a first for me; first time to be in a movie; first acting stint; first time to do a movie with Bossing; first time to meet Ms. Aiai and the rest of the cast; first AlDub movie appearance. I don’t think I can watch this movie and not cringe at my performance. You can see how awkward I was with my scenes with Bossing.. eh nakakahiya! I didn’t know what I was doing but I am glad I got to be part of this film. Everything happened so fast; 5 months from the day I entered the biz and I already got to do a movie! What a blessing!

iyam

Imagine You and Me (July 2016); the first AlDub movie. We shot half of this film in Como, Italy. God, it was such a lovely place, I’d love to go back! I remember being so excited (and nervous at the same time) because it was my first time to go to Italy and it was for a film! I knew it was going to be a memorable experience – and it was, for a lot of reasons. Just like My Bebe Love, I don’t think I can watch this film without cringing at my performance, I don’t think I can even stand watching the whole film! (I am sure a lot of you will agree!) And my awful regrowth, aaahhh!

jack em popoy

Jack Em Popoy (December 2018); a MMFF 2018 entry. I had a lot of fun shooting this film! And I am glad to have met some amazing people too! I have to admit being so nervous since it was my first time doing a “police” role and I didn’t know if my body can handle the semi-action scenes – felt like my body was not fit for the role. I didn’t even undergo any physical training to prepare myself (by choice); aside from the firing sessions that I had to do because I had to learn how to use a gun. It was fun working with blanks! Makes you feel like a badass. It was always fun on the set of Jack Em Popoy. Having the dabarkads and some Kapamilya actors join forces for this film was the most thrilling part of all.

ipwf

Isa Pa With Feelings (October 2019); a romcom-drama film under Black Sheep. One of my favorite local films. #LoveYourOwn #SupportYourOwn LOL! How do I even start? Doing this film was difficult, I should say. I mean I get nervous and scared pretty much in every project I get to be in but I have never been so scared to do a movie until this one. We had to take sign language classes for Carlo’s character and undergo a couple of dance lessons for the final dance performance. The movie had some drama scenes that I had to prepare myself for, in multiple ways. But I am glad and grateful for the people who helped me get through those difficult moments. I have to commend Carlo too for helping me and being with me as I prepared for my heavy scenes. And to my acting coach, my Bubby, for reminding me every step of the way that I can do it. I was always on the phone with him in between takes; telling him how scared I was (to the point of crying) for an upcoming heavy scene and he was always there reminding me that I can do it – no matter how much I tell myself that I can’t. He has helped me in ways you cannot imagine.

Here’s a story that happened in the set of Isa Pa With Feelings I have never told the press about; it’s because it’s kind of personal and I really don’t want people making a big deal out of it. But since this is my blog and I like telling random stories here – and there’s a chance I might forget this one in a few years – I guess it’s fine to have that genuine moment published here.

So there was this time Carlo and I got into a mini “tampuhan” (for lack of a better term). I wouldn’t say the reason why because it was really petty, but you know when friends start teasing each other then the other one gets pissed off? It was something like that. So we weren’t talking to each other the whole night; even if we were doing a scene, it was evident how uncomfortable we were with each other’s presence. Even our director noticed how our emotions registered on the screen, thus him saying “Mukha kayong galit sa isa’t isa.” even if he had no idea about what happened. It was funny but it was really awkward. We were filming a part of the dance finale scene, by the way. So we had to act like we were fond of each other, but we ended up looking “galit sa isa’t isa”. Lol!

So the following taping day, I received a bouquet of flowers from him with a note saying “Sorry na.“. Funny how I even asked our executive producer (Kuya Adi who is also a good friend) if the flowers really came from Carlo or if it was some kind of a “showbiz gimmick”. Minutes later, Caloy came to my tent to apologize personally. I was honestly touched by the gesture – it was genuine and sincere. No cameras needed. And that made me admire Carlo Aquino as a leading man so much more.

I love Isa Pa With Feelings; and I am quite confident to say that this movie is actually a good one. While we are at it, let me share with you a rehearsal video of the final performance featuring one of my favorite songs, Sino by Unique.

This is me with the choreographer, Carlo wasn’t around and we did not have a decent rehearsal video of the whole dance. If you want to see the final performance, you better watch the whole movie. It’s available for rent on iWant!

Screen Shot 2020-07-04 at 5.42.51 PM

Lastly, Mission Unstapabol: The Don identity; a MMFF 2019 entry. Just like Jack Em Popoy, we had a really good time shooting this movie! Another fun film with Bossing and the rest of the Dons! It was my first time working with Mamang Pokwang and Jake Cuenca – such kind individuals! Mamang Pokie always had food for everyone from PokLee’s kitchen. While I remember Jake getting me food and coffee from Starbucks when he knew I was exhausted because I came from Isa Pa With Feelings shoot. #SegueLife I was actually doing Isa Pa With Feelings and Mission Unstapabol at the same time, day after day, so I had some emotional meltdowns in between. Imagine waking up at 5am everyday and getting home around 3am, I seriously thought my body will give up on me any minute! I’ve had quite a lot of moments wherein I had to cry and let off some steam (always before getting my makeup done) for being emotionally and physically exhausted. But don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for being part of both films! And I am glad of how they both turned out.

That’s it! Those are the films I got to be part of over my 5 years in the industry. I wonder what kind of roles I’ll get to do soon. Speaking of movies, I just want to share with you this little achievement of mine; I was able to finish a whole script for this story that I had in mind. It has got to be one of my life’s greatest achievements. I finished a story! I wrote a movie script. I know it’s far from being produced – and it will take A LOT of revisions to develop the story – but I am taking it as a small victory. Just thought I should let my blog readers know about this. I have never divulged the title to my fans in any of my interviews so I am doing it here. Whatever happens to the story, the title shall remain the same.

IMG_3891

I think I have written enough for this entry already, so let’s head to the blog conclusion.

5 years today and I wouldn’t have it any other way. 5 years of countless blessings showered upon me and my family. 5 years of extreme rollercoaster for trying to grasp the bewildering complexity of showbiz as best I could. 5 years of inspiring (some) people and making them happy without knowing exactly how. You’d think I am just this noontime show host with somewhat self-deprecating humor who cracks inane jokes and laughs at the silliest of things. But hey, as hard as it is to believe, some people really do look up to me until today. I know, I ask the same question of “Why” but I doubt I’d ever know the answer. Nonetheless, I am grateful for the gift of ~peculiarities~ that some people find quite endearing. Still, if I get asked what my greatest achievement is, it would be touching people’s hearts and making them smile/laugh/happy at one point in there lives or another. I don’t know how long I’ll manage to go on and stay afloat in this jungle but whenever the time comes I decide to stop – or if ever my career comes to a screeching halt – there will be no regrets.

I am grateful for everything; to have spent 5 years in the industry; to Eat Bulaga for taking a chance on me 5 years ago; to all the people I met along the way; to my supporters who have been there with me through whatever; to my family and friends who have been so supportive of my life and career decisions; for this life and all the doors our Lord has opened (and closed) for me. I am beyond grateful for everything. 5 years went by so fast it’s amazing. I am scared and excited for the next years to come. I hope you’ll walk with me through this path until we get to the end of the road.

Happy 5th showbiz anniversary, self. Just keep swimming.. and breathing.

 

 

It’s been real, Bulacan!

M Mendoza7 Comments

I am thinking of a different blog intro this time, aside from going with the usual “It’s been a while! How time flies!” line to start off another irrelevant blog entry, why don’t we just get to the point already and stop beating around the bush – for a change.

Fine, so it’s Sunday today (June 7, 2020) – 85 days since the quarantine began. And I am just here at home fixing my stuff because I am going back to Manila TONIGHT – tonight because work will resume tomorrow. Kind of shocking to read a text that goes “Eat Bulaga live will resume on Monday (June 8, 2020)” on the night of June 6. I wasn’t prepared, although I’ve been wanting to get back to work already (I mean, it’s been 2 months!) but I kind of wished they told us sooner so I had a bit more time to fix all my mess here at home.. and to bond a bit more with my family, especially Aria and Matti. I told you guys, I’ve never stayed this long in Bulacan since 2015. And looking at the “brighter” side of things, I’ve gotten to spend time with my family in the course of this 2-month-long quarantine. I got to spend time focusing and working on other things and not worry about my actual job – aside from the occasional video greets and Facebook and Instagram live sessions. To be honest, I missed this; having days to myself and moments to bond with the family. I feel like I time-travelled to my teenage years wherein I am always at home, trying to be productive.

For a month, I was a bum. I was the kind who wakes up at 2pm and scrolls through Netflix to see what show I am going to watch next. (But hey, I am working on the DoNation Drive too! I am not as useless as you think!) I sleep before sunrise and go through the same slacker-routine for two weeks. But I came to my senses and realized how shitty it feels to not do anything productive every single day. (Yeah it took me 2 weeks to realize that, I guess I was enjoying the no-work-the-next-day life.) Thank goodness, I was watching Shark Tank and had the idea to start my own business. I know this is not the perfect time to start a business but I thought I better put my free time into studying about the business I had in mind. I don’t know when I am going to have another free time do all these when I go back to work, so since I am not doing much at home, I decided to start getting into this whole “business planning”. It all started on April 8. Immediately when I had the business idea I started working on everything I can until today. Despite being uncertain about so many things, I wanted to make this business happen.

So since April 8 until today June 7 (My idea is turning 2 months tomorrow! Lol!) I have been spending time here in our formal dining area – making the whole place my improvised office/lab where everything about (insert brand name) happens. Also, I have been waking up at 8am for 4 weeks now to “go to work” (as I’d like to call it), like a regular employee who goes to work at 9 and gets off at 5pm – that has been my updated (and way better) routine for the last 4 weeks. I am glad because it feels REALLY good to sleep at night knowing I accomplished many things within the day. And I also look forward getting up early the next day because there are still so many things to do and study about. I feel like a working student, except I am my own boss! Remember Mr. Wonderful’s words? “If you want to control your own destiny, work for yourself. Take the chance, you’re young. There is nothing better waking up in the morning 10 years from now and do whatever you like. Being an employee is not bad but being an entrepreneur is better.” I am trying! And I hope I wake up one morning ten years from now thanking myself for actually making this business come to life.. and drinking a glass of wine the Kevin O’ Leary way!

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Truth be told, I have spent invested a lot of money in it already (I’ve reached the hundred thousand mark and I am not proud of it). I mean, the experiments/tests require a lot of materials so I really had to shell off a big amount of money so I can start working on my test products. I want to be the one doing the “test-periments”, so I’d know what I am getting myself into – and as a part of the whole learning process since I don’t have any background in this field. Like I said in my previous post, it would be easier to hire people and ask them to do everything for me but I want to be totally hands-on with this. Surprisingly, I am getting through; I am actually making progress and I am also learning at the same time. I am glad. I cannot wait for everything to pay off eventually.. I mean, I hope.

Again, for the nth time, I don’t want to divulge much yet since I don’t want to jinx it so I hope you are fine with me telling vague infos about the “future business”. I’ve mentioned this couple of times in my recent interviews but I am still keeping mum about what field exactly does this belong. If you are a supporter and you have been following and watching my interviews and live sessions, I think it is actually possible for you to put the pieces of puzzle together. I have mentioned clues several times unintentionally, I don’t know if you are getting an idea of what I am working on.. but yeah, let’s just wait for the time I get to launch the business in my OWN way.

I think I have already told you (in my last blog entry) that I am not planning to make this business “BIG”, as I am treating this as a “passion project/business” that I want to build because I want to share my “growing passion” for _______ products. So please do not expect a grand launch because I want to keep it low-key. You wouldn’t actually know (unless you a “diehard” supporter) since I am not planning to promote it myself when everything’s set. I bet you’d be surprised one day (or not) to know that the brand is mine and that it was actually the thing I was working on during the quarantine. Well, I hope that day comes! Again, it sucks to be uncertain about something, especially the future. I am just hoping for the best. I am hoping I get everything done. It’s going to take a lot of time and patience but I am sure it’ll be worth it by the time I get things figured out and settled. I hope and pray for everything to go smooth, and of course everything to be successful.

Enough with the business talking, it’s almost sunset and I really need to start getting my things together and leave in a few hours. Sucks when reality comes to bite you. It’s like getting a gentle tap on the back, “Time’s up!”. Well, my time here at home was good while it lasted. I don’t want to sound insensitive for not thinking (and doing something) about what the world is going through, but I really just want to savor my time here at home with my family (and my seemingly old life) because I don’t know when I’ll be back and stay for this long again.

I am going to miss so many things here! Let us start from my bedroom (that I share with my sister); I will definitely miss having to share a bedroom with the person I like to annoy the most – my original frienemy. We’ve had some misunderstandings during my 2-month stay here just like the old times but we still manage to patch things up. I am going to miss our bonding moments together – especially the chikahan and the impromptu twerking performance. I am going to miss my ate, too. I have never really had this much time to catch up and tell them stories about my 5-year journey in show business. There are just so many things to catch up on, without actually missing and skipping the tiniest of details – that make the kwento/chika/tea a lot more interesting. Whew, this is actually making me tear up. Despite having Never Gonna Give You Up play in the background. (Go Rick Astley!)

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My brothers, of course. Though we did not really have much time to bond, it’s nice to hang out in their room at times. I missed them! Isn’t it actually amazing that we are all still living under the same roof? Well.. the more, the merrier! This house wouldn’t be the same if we are all not in it. It feels like we’re still kids running around, trying to annoy each other. My parents, oh my gad. I have witnessed a 5-day-long tampuhan between my parents and I don’t know why I find pleasure in it. Me and my siblings were teasing them all the time (mga pabebe!) and it actually felt kind of weird to see your parents trying to avoid each other when they literally sleep next to each other. Haha! Dinners and weekend meriendas wouldn’t be the same. I already got used to eating dinner with the whole family and I don’t think I am ready to get back to my condo life. (Eating by myself would surely make me cry!) Even Pepe and the other kasambahays will be missed. Living will never be the same. As much as I want to get back to work and go back to the condo, leaving this place is just so hard and so sad. I am having separation anxiety. I hope I don’t cry myself to sleep tonight!

Another thing, I am going to miss my Shopee packages too. Ahhhh I got so obsessed with purchasing all kinds of organizers online (and all the materials, ingredients and tools that I need for my testperiments) that I literally open 3-5 packages everyday. That was actually the thing I looked forward to every morning, opening packages. It’s like receiving a gift.. from yourself! The excitement never goes away! I am going to miss waiting for kuya delivery man. My “home office” is actually filled with plastic boxes/organizers where I store the stuff I bought/buy online. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’d get to bring all these 100L storage boxes to the condo. Everything would definitely fit in my place but I don’t think there’s a way to put all these in one car – 2 trips would work, though. I am just going to leave all these here at home, so I’d have another reason to come home to Bulacan every weekends. I am definitely going to miss my office, my table, my mess and experiments!

Lastly, the kids – Matti and Aria. I have been a quasi-babysitter for the past two months and I got used to entertaining the kids when no one’s around. Especially Aria, we’ve had this “bonding session” every afternoon where she joins me in my “office” and watches all these baby videos using my iPad (S/o to Cocomelon, Chuchu TV and Pinkfong). Imagine having a last song syndrome of baby songs! I go to shower singing “A B C D, in the morning brush your teeth”, hay I’m going to miss our afternoon bonding moments. If only I can take her with me to the condo. I only hope she remembers my name (and who I am) by the time I get to visit Bulacan. That has been my problem with Matti when he was still a toddler – the “warming up” session after being away for so long!

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This photo was taken earlier – during our last Cocomelon session for now. I’ll be back soon, Aria! Please don’t forget about Memen. I shall do another blog entry featuring some random photos and videos taken during my 2-month stay here in Bulacan. Since I don’t share much photos and updates on my social media accounts, let me just do it here on my blog like I used to. (With my very few blog readers, I love it!) Also just so you’d have a glimpse of my life here in Bulacan.

Anyway, time check: 6:12pm. It’s getting dark and it feels like it’s about to rain. I better get myself ready now. I am going to miss this place so much! One thing for sure, I am going to try coming home at least twice a month. I hope everything remains the same. I am going to miss you all Nanay, Tatay, Ate, Kuya, Dean, Coleen, Matti, Aria, Pepe, Kuya John, Mommy, Manang, Dindin and Johnny! Please don’t forget about me, lol. I’ll always have you all in my heart even if you are just 30kms away from Pasig. Also, please don’t miss me too much. Eat Bulaga live show will already resume tomorrow! I am honestly having mixed emotions about leaving and getting back to work, but yeah.. time’s up, self. It’s time to leave. Kitakits nalang bukas mga dabarkads!

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It’s been real, it’s been fun – it has been actually real fun, Bulacan!

P.S. Please don’t regard me as “insensitive”; I am talking about my life in Bulacan, having my family around for 2 straight months after 5 long years (of condo living). Please stay safe wherever you are!