Hello! I posted here before about making my own tea set and here is the update! Meet Mr. Quackpot 🦆 and my new tea pet: Snek! 🐍
I'm so glad that the teapot is functional and everything went well! My first time in handbuilding ceramics. 🥹❤️
Of course the perfect tea to brew here would be Ya Shi Xiang Oolong. 🤭🍵
Yes I bought these from the Bama Flagship store in Lazada. Early birthday gift ko rin sa self ko so I splurged a little.
What I got:
-Strong Aroma "Nong Xiang" Tieguanyin (Gold can), this is their best seller daw.
-Wuyi Dahongpao (Red can)
-Jin Jun Mei (Orange can)
-Lapsang Souchong (The other red can), as per reviews hindi daw smoky ang taste so naintriga ako. Will try soon!
-Hawthorn Chenpi White Tea (Pink bag)
-Ginger Jujube Wolfberry White Tea (Pink bag #2)
-Osmanthus Oolong Tea (Yellow rectangular can)
Will try the Nong Xiang Tieguanyin first! 🥰
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? 😭
So yes, I joined a handbuilding session for ceramics and made myself a duck-shaped teapot, 2 tea cups, an adorable snake tea pet, and some random trinket tray. 🥰
These babies will go on a kiln and I will see them after 6-8 weeks. So excited! I do hope the small strainer holes I made near the spout is functional and the glaze doesn't clog them all 🫠🙏
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.
So I'm initially not really a fan of white tea, because it gives me a "tofu-esque" aroma and flavor every time (idk why), but this one really wowed me! I was amazed how it tasted like honey and dried fruits, and it holds up to many steeps as well! 🌼🍵
Aged Shou Mei is very forgiving, and can hold itself well to boiling water. The throat feel is silky-smooth, I swear it was like drinking nectar. Truly enjoyed this cup! Will be repurchasing this one! The brand is Pinpintea, btw. ☺️
Also, my tea pets Shelldon 🐢 and Maomao 🐼 says hi!
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! 🥺🤲
I love my daily tea rituals. Gongfu tea brewing has taught me patience, mindfulness, and precision. Ofc, I have to practice all those because if not, I'll get burnt by hot water and have bad tea. LOL 😅
Today's brew is light-roasted tieguanyin ☺️
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! 🥺
My travel tea set has arrived! It includes 3 tea cups (shaped like bamboo!), a fairness cup, a filter, and a lid (which serves as a stand for the filter). It also comes with a travel container!
Gosh, I love it so much that I'm planning to buy the green one as well (the fairness cup/gaiwan and cups would look like dark green bamboo 🤓)
Now I can have my tea everywhere! 🐼✈️
Edit: here is the tea set in action! https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSXXNbK8W/
I am amazed at the sizes of some tea blocks. This one is unique, it's a Dian Hong compressed tea block shaped like a Pagoda! Seeing it unfurl is my fave part 🥰
Hi all! I just want to share the beauty of these tea leaves! It looks like Goldilocks' hair. It's amazing because the leaves looks so different when steeped, and the process of seeing it uncoil is just amazeballs. 🤓
Lately I'm really into black teas (specifically Jin Jun Mei and Dian Hong) just because of the brew color and aroma. This one really blew my mind because it smells like Ovaltine! 🤯😂
I joined a tea pet making session! We used air-dried clay and coated it with resin. It's my first time in the longest time that I tapped into my creative side. I felt like a kid again! I can't believe I was able to make this, tbh. Now I got this little buddy to have tea with me. 🥹
Hi everyone! Just wanted to share a new found hobby of mine: writing down my tea experience. Haha!
I buy my tea kay @leafandbloomtea and I bought so many samplers! I realized na every tea experience of mine is enjoyable, but once tea time is over... parang nakakapanghinayang 😅 (limited stocks lang rin kasi ang tea supplies ko 🥲)
I don't want to overhoard tea too, kasi I wanna try other varieties as well! So I decided the solution would be capturing these thoughts and experiences in the moment: every steep, every cup.
I want to re-live these experiences someday, especially if the brand or variety of tea I will have next would be different. Ang saya kasi, it's a good way to slow down and unplug after work, plus you get to enjoy the little things in life rin. Like, right now I appreciate the different shapes, sizes, and aroma of the tea leaves. Like first time ko naisip: ang ganda pala ng nature noh? Charot. 😝
Pero TLDR, I hope more and more people get to appreciate loose leaf tea and the art of brewing tea gongfu style. 🥰
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.
​
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.
​
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
​
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
​
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)
​
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
​
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?
​
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. 🥺