New Year

Ah, that time of the year again when I make promises that intend to keep yet somehow don’t. But still, year after year, I make such a list of things so that I will have something to look back to come the 31st of December and how I fared in life.

The year has started off pretty well for me and I couldn’t be happier.  We had guests over whom Alvin and I love to bits and we were able to see more of Malaysia in the first few days – thanks to my husband’s driving skills and eagerness to find new places we can explore. Such a travel geek, he is and wanderlust me just loves reaping the benefits.

Anyhoo. Resolutions. Here we go.

1. Healthier Carol 2015

I am skinny girl. Always have. Despite junk food being the longest relationship I have ever been in, I have always been an XS, 5’6 and a half girl. Too tall, too skinny. While I used that to my advantage in my earlier years and did a bit of modelling, I realised that health is something I should be working on now that I’m getting older. At 25, I still eat a lot of junk, I sleep pretty late, and I’m still pretty much sedentary despite the once-in-a-while workouts.

So, I plan (like last year) to turn everything around this 2015. I plan to eat healthier – maybe not give up junk entirely because it’s too good for that – more often. Since we moved to Malaysia, Alvin and I have been enjoying MSG free meals. I don’t even cook with it unlike his mom and my grandma in the Philippines (it’s a thing back home). I also promise to choose organic ingredients whenever I cook and introduce more veggies into our diet.

Come to think of it, I’ve already started getting healthier in 2014. I have graduated from a size XS to an S and I actually look and feel better about myself. But this year, it’s time to up the ante.

One more thing is that I promise to go to the gym – Impulse Studio in particular – regularly. Skinny and firm won’t last forever unless I work on it. I’m aiming for a toned body with a stronger core. So watch out for that here on the blog. I will be writing more about my road to fitness soon! 🙂

2. Write more

Ah, the resolution that has been written down over and over for the last decade. I do write. Not a day goes by without a couple of sentences written down as writing is my life. But with a blog, 3 book ideas in the pipeline, and the occasional “Hmm, should I write this for Rappler?” Or “Should I send this over to (insert name of international magazine/newspaper here)?”, sometimes, time just gets the best of me.

There’s too much to write that my fingers can’t keep up with my thoughts and sometimes, with the busy schedule here in KL, there’s just no time to grab my laptop, sit in a quiet corner, and start typing. Yes, I am one of those writers who can’t write when it’s noisy. Ok, scratch that. I can write under any circumstance but of course, it won’t be as good as I hope it to be (I am my worst critic). I value my output and would rather not go for templated, advertorial sounding articles, thank you very much. Be it just here in my blog or in any publication.

So this year, I – once again – am planning to work harder in making some sweet time for my writing.

3. Best Wife Ever Year 2

We all enter marriages as different people. In fact, I believe that there’s not one single couple out there that is entirely perfect for each other. Alvin and I are polar opposites and I admit that between the two of us, I am the stubborn/loud/hard-headed/sungit/taray/bitchy one. Hihi. He admits that he finds it endearing and who would really want to end up with someone who just nods and says yes to everything that you say anyways?

And no, I do not plan to change that side of me ever. After all, that’s what makes Carol, Carol. Opinionated, passionate, stubborn. So my resolution that’s in relation to this is to be more patient and open to accepting that not all people are alike. I think I’m doing pretty well in this department already but still, it hasn’t reached second nature level to me yet.

Alvin is logical and pragmatic while I am emotional and creative. Come to think of it, we make a perfect team by complementing each other. Growing up as ‘technically’ an only child, I have a hard time accepting when things are not done my way. But this 2014, I realised that there are a lot of things I need help with. Yes, I do see myself as a strong woman and I’m definitely a feminist but it’s nice to have help and your husband’s opinion especially if he sees things differently – it makes you see things and solutions at a whole new perspective. Then you two can weigh things and pick (or combine) the solution for certain challenges in life. (Ours include usually home improvement and decorating discussions)

I am glad to report, however, that my husband and I should win model couple of the year. 😉 Instead of fighting over petty and even big things that we don’t agree on, we are so good at talking it out. A is what he wants, B is what I want, we do C which is a combo of A and B because we realise it’s better. I gush at how often the phrase “better together” comes to mind. But of course there are times when we have to do it his way or my way – depending on the situation and whose idea fits the situation better. Our discussions do take a while and arguments and evidence are usually presented (married to a lawyer, ladies and gentlemen) but everything is ironed out in the end, we even realise how mentally stimulating it is even if it’s a topic that’s more on the emotional side.

4. Get (even) better at cooking and baking

Ah, cooking. My husband has been very happy with my cooking so far and I only intend to get better. I’m also planning to focus more on cooking Filipino dishes and making sure that they look nice on a plate – which can be a challenge. Our cuisine is mostly brown and murky on the outside (but heaven in your mouth, trust me!) so presenting it to people who are not familiar with them can be quite a challenge. I’ll let you know how it goes. 😉

Oh and my baking is definitely going uphill. When a friend once told me that I might find baking hard to do, that scared me. But no. Really! You just read instructions and follow them! Once you get the theory and if you use common sense in what tastes good with what, then you’re bound to be stellar at it. Really. So yes, my neighbours should expect more sweet goodies from me.

5. Learn to drive

While I already got the basics (I can drive a manual car and do turns now!) thanks to my husband who taught me how before leaving for KL, I’m gonna have to take formal lessons so I can get a license here and start driving myself around.

While I do love being driven around by my husband when do some exploring in and out of the city, it would be nice if I can be his sub during long drives. That way, we can go further from KL and see more of Malaysia! Also, it would be nice if I can drive myself to the gym instead of taking a cab. 😀

6. Learn to swim

Ah, a dream since childhood that never came to be as time was always elusive. I was always doing something else during the summer. Different activities when I was a child, partying when I was in high school and college. I love the beach and the water so it’s time we try to get in tune with each other. (It rhymes!)

My neighbour Karen, who’s the wife of one of Alvin’s colleagues, plans to take the lessons with me this summer! Yay!

7. Learn to tone it down

I am passionate. About a lot of things. When I dislike something or someone, I go all out. In fact, I never do anything half-assed. However, when it comes to negativity, I should learn to disengage myself. When someone does one of my friends wrong, I should offer support but not lash out. There have been times when I was even angrier than the person who was wronged. Lol. I should start calling this blog Undiplomatic rather than Almost Diplomatic.

My best friend even calls me her “attack dog”. You see, I just can’t take it when people hurt or say mean things to and about the people I love. Especially when they themselves are not the ones who are more likely to fight back. So, to keep the peace on earth, I will now just offer support and not get too involved in the negativity other people experience. I am flattered that people often seek my advice when they face challenges in love or even conflict. But from now on, I will just give advice and not let the negative vibes get to me. I will also increase my intake on positive vibes. Come to think of it, I am now a very happy person (contrary to the chronic resting bitch face I’ve always had up until 2010). I smile a lot and I am extremely friendly. I plan to stick to that while making sure I don’t let the negativity that sometimes makes it way to my mood get to me.

So now that this has been documented, let’s see how I’ll be doing in the next 11 months.

More later!

Love,

Carol