u/Fabulous_Broccoli240

Hi all! I'm currently in my running era (pero nasa walking phase pa, kasi I'm still building my stamina pa 😬) and I do evening walks at a very safe jogging park here in my city.

Siyempre, may cute guys rin doon, and minsan magkakasalubong at madadaanan ko sila, especially if opposite directions kami naglalakad.

Now, sometimes folks look at me (siguro a natural thing kasi nadadaanan mo rin ung tao), then ako I try to keep my eyes on the pathway and not look at them back (I don't want to be creepy siguro?) Naiisip ko tuloy na di ako magkaka-organic encounter nito dahil I'm too focused on the road (and also busy with the thoughts in my head) kaysa being approachable and open. Naisip ko rin naman di ba parang awkward if I smile at them?

I'm not really good at the art of flirting talaga. Should I start smiling at folks ba? 😭

I think I have reached the point where I am too scared to date again, but I'm still yearning for a relationship, a companion, a favorite person. Like, sometimes I get attracted to a guy tapos after a while it wears off, kasi I am afraid of getting hurt again.

It's confusing to be honest. I've dated the wrong guys before, yun masabi ko. Some of them left deep wounds that made me be afraid of trusting the dating scene again. I know deep down na hindi ko deserve mga behavior nila, and good riddance sa kanila. Pero I can't help but grieve for myself.

I'm such a sweet girl with so much love to give, pero just like a Shopee parcel, nadeliver lang sa maling address ng paulit-ulit. So ayun, pondo muna ako sa Shenzen Sorting Center. 🥺😔

Sorry I just had to dump this out of my brain before it consumes me. The healing process is not linear, ika nga.

Just wanted to give some appreciation to the eldest daughters who became the parents of the household (either by choice or no choice 💀)

We should not romanticize suffering talaga. Pero sometimes we have to give ourselves a pat on the back for staying strong through it all! To share, I am actually the middle child, and my kuya absconded from the breadwinner role a long time ago. He fled to a different city and had his own life and family na doon. He got to live the life na supposedly for me, because now I got all the responsibilities to financially support my widowed mom (our father died when we were young) and guide my younger brother when he was growing up.

I had to embrace responsibilities that weren't mine, I had to take care of everyone. But who cares for the caregiver when they are tired? Why do I feel like I was born in this world to just be the family's workhorse? 🥺

Fortunately, my younger brother grew up well, and he is helping out with the finances now that he has a decent job. He is very well-mannered, a gentleman, a pacifist, and walang bisyo at luho! Pero minsan, andyan parin ang pagiging ate ko parin, like when he gets dry skin and I have to buy him the proper moisturizer for his face! 😂 (He asked to use my perfumed lotions kasi, and I was like naurrrr masisira ang skin barrier mooo)

Napaisip ako, when I had issues like these, I had no one to help me with this (salamat nalang, google), and it made my heart sink a little. Three decades of my life I have been living on survival mode, on my own. 😔

Let's not even talk about my dating life, maybe I dated the wrong people rin. It's hard to find a proper guy these days, most of them were either immature or manchildren. I still believe there are good people out there naman, pero I'd rather focus on being a good person for others, too! And maybe, darating lang rin? 🥹

But enough of that. To all girlies out there who are tired, burnt out, and burdened by the responsibilities that weren't even theirs to begin with: Hugs! Let's take it one day at a time! 🥺🤲

Hi folks. I have 2 Airbnb clients. Started Feb 2026 with Client A part time, picked up Client B in April, both went full time by July.

Almost 6 months with Client A now. Pay is lower ($1,100 CAD/month, ~$750 USD), I'm her only VA, she's nice technically, but swings between micromanaging and expecting me to read her mind.

The job isn't hard, she just has zero systems. Everything's in her head. I've tried building SOPs, but it's hard without even a cleaning app (she cancelled it, "too expensive"). We manage remote lakehouses across Canada with 10+ cleaners who keep turning over, so no systems means extra stress.

My days off are split, and she never leaves turnover notes. So I come back to a shitshow and a mountain of backreading every time, even though I'm already as proactive as I can be.

Most of her past VAs didn't last, I think I'm her longest one. She takes over tasks then gets annoyed she "had to." Reply to a guest even within 5 mins and she's already jumped in. When she senses I'm burning out, she suddenly gets nicer and "appreciates" me, verbally, never monetarily. I think what she really wants is a second brain so she can rest, I get that, but between the pay, no systems, and the attitude, it's hard to stay motivated.

Now I can compare her to Client B (since April) who pays a bit more, has way better systems, more properties but less chaos, real work-life balance, fixed schedule, proper turnovers.

Friends say it's "sayang" to let Client A go, but I'm down to one real day off a week, 12+ hour days because Client A's shifts aren't fixed. I want to let her go, rest with one client muna, and find my new 2nd client who pays better.

I was overworked as a BPO manager before so I've been through worse, and this felt like the lesser evil. But my whole goal leaving BPO was to not be burnt out again. Am I just too weak or slow? I know I still have a lot to learn, but I don't feel motivated anymore. Thinking of resigning and offering to train my replacement so it's not too hard on her. Help! 🥺

Hey everyone. I'm planning a trip to Metro MNL soon and im planning to insert buying diff tea in my itinerary. Im not savvy sa places kasi, tho I know may bentahan daw sa Binondo. What are your reco places I can go to?

Puro binondo foodtrip lang kasi if I search socmed, walang where to buy tea (vloggers, pls naman haha) 🥲

Hi all! I bought like 20-30g of Anji Bai Cha. I tried it (gongfu method) and omg, it's not for me. It's too vegetal and the aroma and taste are like brewing seaweed 😢

I usually love the aroma of tea, tieguanyin is my favorite! Lapsang souchong is... manageable. But Anji Bai Cha? Naurr I just can't.

Sayang naman yung extra leaves. What do you usually do with leaves you don't like? 🥺

So as a single trentahin girly with a WFH job, I realized na baka mauna pa ako maging organic fertilizer kaysa magka-organic encounter ako.

I used dating apps siguro mga 2019 era pa and it wasn't a good experience mostly.

I do go out naman from time to time, coffee shops, malls, etc, just to touch grass! Pero I can't keep feeding my delulu fantasy na may kusang lalapit sakin and ask my name or what. Real life doesn't work that way! Or if it does, bebentahan lang pala ako ng credit card haha.

With that being said, I will enjoy my life nalang until someone (na maayos) finds me. Other than pickleball and jogging, unsay maayo buhaton sa dabaw? 🙄

EDIT: I'm really just looking for new hobbies to keep myself busy.

I've been a short-term rental VA for about 4 months. Currently managing two clients at the same time and got a LinkedIn reach-out offering significantly higher pay. Would love outside perspective.

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Current Setup:

I have two property management clients I handle simultaneously in overlapping time slots, so my effective rate is $11/hr for one working window.

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Client A ($5/hr) Eastern Time

-She is the first client who took me in 🥹

-25+ properties and growing

-4 months in, I'm her only VA

-I built the full knowledge base (she doesn't have one) and I'm very familiar with the portfolio already.

-Communication is WhatsApp only, no Zoom, no phone calls. Doesn't hound me off-shift.

-She's very trusting and doesn't micromanage at all

-Bi-weekly pay

-Days off: Wednesday and Saturday

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Client B ($6/hr) Pacific Time

-30+ properties

-2 months in, still building familiarity but it's there.

-Co-VA is on matleave so I'm absorbing extra tasks for the meantime, til she comes back.

-Raise expected at the 6-month mark

-Weekly pay

-Same setup: WhatsApp only, no phone calls, no meetings, very reasonable, and again they do not hound me off-shift

-Days off: Tuesday and Wednesday

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The main cons of my current setup:

-Lower individual rates

-I only have Wednesday as a full shared day off.

-Absorbing extra workload from Client B while co-VA is on matleave

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The New Opportunity

-$12-18/hr (single client)

-80+ properties across LA, New York, Palm Springs, and Oslo

-Requires phone calls with guests during urgent situations only

-Mandatory 2-hour Zoom team meeting every Monday

-The schedule is within the working time window I have with my 2 clients (around 9pm-8am ish, since Friday shifts are scheduled hours earlier)

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Why I'm hesitating:

The pay looks better on paper but when I break it down:

-I'm already making $11/hr effective for one time block with two clients

-The new role's floor is only $1/hr more than what I'm already earning

-Phone calls for urgent guest situations is a completely different kind of stress

-I've never had to do Zoom meetings with my current clients and the 2-hour Monday meeting feels like a lot

-It's a brand new environment and unknown team culture

-If I take this and it doesn't work out, I lose everything. With two clients, losing one still leaves me with income while I find a replacement

-I'd be walking away from 4 months of built trust and a knowledge base I created from scratch with Client A

Client B has a raise coming in 4 months that I'd also be leaving on the table

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My question:

Is $1-7/hr more (and only potentially $7 more at the ceiling) worth losing a no-phone, no-Zoom, async setup with income security across two clients and jumping into a single unknown role with phone support and mandatory weekly meetings? Or am I undervaluing myself and playing it too safe?

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Genuinely torn and would appreciate honest takes, especially from other VAs or anyone who has been in a similar spot.

Hi guys! Need some R&R na talaga and I'm thinking of doing work in a beachfront resort sa samal. What are places na tried and tested ila wifi? With good accoms na like food and the room and all.

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Kanang near the barge lang sana kay I'm prolly gonna be a solo traveler. Ayaw nang Alorro levels pls haha.

So I'm a girl at my early thirties. I feel so numb already because of these emotionally unavailable or immature men that just take advantage of my kindness. Literal I am just focusing nalang sa career, I don't want to be in a relationship kasi stressful lang. I envy seeing folks have happy and good relationships.

I mean yeah, they say masyado kasing mataas aking standards, or I am intimidating to some guys, well it's kinda hard growing up as the eldest daughter in an asian family, ikywim. Is it my fault to have standards? I also bring value to the table, di naman ako palamunin or ano ba.

I even gave chances before and it didn't end well kasi nga they just turn out to be emotionally immature, or idk they are manchildren. 😶‍🌫️

Just so down in the dumps, sometimes I feel lonely. I feel sad. I feel unwanted. Di naman ako pangit lord, ang sweet and thoughtful ko, pero ayun I just want to get it off my chest. 🥺

So i'm planning to buy little decorative plants for interior design purposes. Maybe you guys would know where to buy these? Naay stall sa sm ecoland annex pero basi the prices there are jacked up because it's in a mall.

I know before kasi there was a part sa tulip drive that sold a lot of plants (even herbs) pero wala na ata sila when the place was developed.

The place in my mind na maraming succulents was buda but that is very far. If possible yung nasa downtown to north areas po. 🫠

If you guys have recos. Thanks!

ABYG for giving life advice to my BF rather than just sympathetically listening to his rant? For context, we are both in the early 30s. My boyfriend (now ex) is in the fitness industry. I respect his passion, but it does not really give him financial stability right now. He often rants about his dad not helping him pay his expenses, while I’m a breadwinner who works a lot and does overtime.

Because I cared about him, I suggested he try a side hustle like VA work, and I even offered to help him learn so he could have more income and feel less dependent on his dad. Honestly, I just hit a wall listening to him rant about his parents not supporting him financially when I am a breadwinner juggling 2 clients just to fix the finances in my family. He got offended and felt like I was looking down on him and his passion or treating him like a child. To note, I even told him I suggested VA work so he won't give up on his coaching gigs as he can do that on the side.

For context, he has felt infantilized before because I joked about his lack of responsibilities and basic adulting skills (he doesn't pay for anything in his household, and doesn't do groceries. Technically he just does what he wants without consequences because his family is more well-off) But he also jokes about my body, squeezes my fats, and has even made fun of my injured arm that I can't raise properly. I tried to tolerate it because I thought he was just playful, but when I joked back about him being ignorant about adulting responsibilities, he got really hurt.

There were other double standards too. When he gets mad, he shouts and says it’s normal because I made him mad. When he sets boundaries, I’m expected to respect them, but when I disagree or set my own, he calls me arrogant. When he is blunt, I’m supposed to understand, but when I give him real talk, I’m mean.

I also adjusted a lot because he does not earn much. I treated him, bought him things, accepted bare minimum dates, and did not ask for much financially. I didn't really mind and all I just wanted was emotional care and to not feel unwanted.

He also complained to his friends that I’m a “yapper,” I acknowledge that this is one of my flaws, but I feel like he could have communicated when he felt overwhelmed instead of expecting me to always monitor his comfort (he wants me to do a temp check if he is still okay with my yapping vs. telling me to stop coz i'm yapping too much, to which I would've understood). The yaps aren't even naggings about him, its just me venting out about difficulties in life. Meanwhile, I listened to his heavy rants even when I was tired from work.

Eventually, I put my foot down and stopped agreeing with him. After that, he blocked me on Instagram even though we were not following each other there, and I also cannot search him on Facebook though my friend can.

ABYG for suggesting he get a side hustle and for feeling like our relationship had a double standard?

EDIT: So to give more context, I broke it off with the guy (I did it nicely pa ha) kaya he blocked me everywhere.