Forever 21

Got to attend the Forever21 SM North EDSA VIP launch earlier today. Here are some snaps!

Danne xx

Dog Days Are Over

Good morning! My weekend has been a good one! Lots of food and going out going on.

I now eat veggies, and broccoli is my favorite. Hello fellas on the plate (which are all now in my tummy).

I also had my favorite Filipino dish, the silog!

FOOOOOOD. I wonder how we could live without em?

xx,

Danne

Ms. Christie

Lately, I've been reading some awesome books from a single author, the Queen of Mystery, Agatha Christie. This 1930's author definitely knows how detective novels should be written. And her English is grand.

My most favorite so far is The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, which had the most unanticipated ending. You should read it if you like surprises.

Another great one is the Murder on the Orient Express. Makes me wanna ride the Orient Express and become a detective myself. Well-crafted case in there!

I'm currently reading these two books:

Must a murder happen inside a train, plane or any moving object for it to be interesting? It puzzles me.

I should read more! It makes life a lot more interesting. It's amazing how letters and pages can take you to places.

Last month, we also flew paper lanterns. How magical!

We were surprised that the lanterns were heart-shaped. It was a good sight to see hearts floating in the sky.

Also, don't forget to drop by our food blog, Manila Foodistas.

xx,

Danne

Growth

Things you can do to grow:

1. Google or Wiki everything

Whenever I'm online and I do work on my computer, I always make sure a window of Google or Wikipedia is open just so I could type in whatever comes to mind-- so I could be well-rounded, have a good general idea on a wide range of topics. You'll never know what your interviewer will ask you next, or what trivia you could share on an interesting conversation. I Google/Wiki everything: from my health concerns to Chuck Norris, to the meaning of the word stupendous. It's not wrong to admit you do not know everything in this world. The wealth of information is out there, just gotta get hold of them!

2. Pursue something other than your main line of work

Whether you're a med school student or a budding marketing professional, there's gotta be a hobby you always wanted to do (or passion you haven't discovered yet) which you could pursue. When I was in college and I was still studying human behavior and cognition, I wanted to take another track which I believed I personally loved-- design. And it worked out well for me, I could even make a living out of it today.

The truth is that there are so many things out there! You can marathon, do some crochet, be so passionate about detective novels, cook or bake or even write a story. It will make your life worth living!

3. Go for it!

Be queen of application! Apply for things--scholarships, raffles, freebies, work opportunities. You'll realize that applying (being in the process is far more fulfilling) that the results will just be a bonus. Whether it works out for you in the end or not, there's no harm in trying.

4. Read the Bible

Recently, I decided to regularly read the New Living Translation version of the Bible because it uses more layman terms, which could be understood by normal people like us. (Just Google NLT.) I appreciate how simple God's Word could be, that we can understand it in one reading. Food for the soul, yes!

Hope those inspired you today!

xx

Danne

This Just In!

Hello cyberspace!

I've been away for a long time, leaving my blog un-updated because I've been long planning to create my own website which has now finally hatched. It took me blood, tears and lots of coding to get this working so I hope you appreciate whatever's in here! Yay!

It's http://dannelim.com.

You'll see most of my works, photos, a little text and just most of the things I like doing. I tried to keep it as interesting as possible. I'd like to think this is an official launch of my graphic design career which I've been.. mmhmm.. informally having since I was a student! So yay for having a new phase in my life.

Please like, share, recommend, whatever floats your boat, and you'll be loved for it.

Thank you for visiting and have fun!

xx

Danne

My Most Memorable - 2011

Earlier this afternoon, I tweeted about my 2011.

However, when I was compiling the pictures I have shot this year, I realized how I wasted much of my time worrying about tomorrow when I could perfectly enjoy and get lost in the moment. How this was a good year never really struck me until its last few hours.

Japan

My 2011 started in Japan. I've grown quite accustomed in independent living for quite a while, in retrospect, I actually enjoyed it. My friends and I also traveled from Tokyo to Kamakura, to Hakone, to Kansai Region (Kyoto, Osaka, Nara), to Hiroshima.

I'm so blessed to be given the opportunity to just travel this year despite many things.

That's me in thick clothing in one of those steaming areas in Hakone where a scenic view of Mt. Fuji could be seen.

Here are some of my most favorite shots from my living in Japan.

I saw one of the most beautiful and historic cities ever where I'm eyeing to stay for retirement, Kyoto.

The most breathtaking tourist spot I've seen (Kinkaku-ji in Kyoto). Looks like a shot from postcard?

This one's the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome.

I also experienced working as a part-time employee in a store in Ginza, tutoring Japanese students while being a foreign student myself, some really cold winter weather and snow, amazing (and very breathtaking) Tokyo moments.

Besides that, of course was March 11, 2011, 2:46 PM, the Great Tohoku Earthquake. I hope that will be the only time I'd experience a magnitude 9 earthquake.

Proud of that country that was able to slowly move on from such a disaster.

Tokyo is very much like a love affair, and leaving was very much like a break-up. I had a terrible and difficult time moving on. Sometimes I still experience relapse, though I am a proud of the little progress I have made adjusting. :)

Internship with Selecta

When I got back Manila last summer, I was still looking for things to do when a good opportunity opened up for me. I was able to get an internship in Unilever for none other than...ice cream! For one summer I got to eat so much free ice cream my tummy grew happy.

Completing a Degree

So this is how it feels like to have graduated from college. I haven't attended my graduation rites yet, which probably is the reason why I felt like graduation is just like suddenly stopping schooling, except you've finished it. I was so blessed to graduate Magna Cum Laude. Man, those sleepless nights must have paid off!

Really missing Diliman badly!

Nestlé MILE

Another opportunity that was opened up to me was being part of this year's batch of MILEes! Even if this experience lasted only four days, it seemed like there were so many things I've brought out with me from this experience. MILE was a chance for me to explore things I did not know I could do. It was also an opportunity to build friendships.

Manila Foodistas

And before the year ended, I got to join a food blog, Manila Foodistas. I'm no food connoisseur nor have I any professional knowledge on nutrition. The great thing about food blogging for me is the fact that you don't need to be a professional to share some of your thoughts on eating... you just have to be hungry and love food.

...And many other things

I've had some personal bouts which I treasure about this year. The dog that I loved the most died all of a sudden, and that was really devastating for me. This December too was not really a good month for many reasons, but I still choose to put my faith in Him.

I was able to strengthen my family relationships, re-build relationships with others, and form new ones- some of which are those which are really precious to me.

My sole resolution for the new year is to walk more and sit less.

Thanks Lord for what was 2011.

Danne

Gotta Stop

I always had a never-say-die attitude when it comes to two things: workaholism and worrying. People close to me would know that I rarely give myself a break when it comes to these two things. Workaholism probably stems from my being driven and from the belief that time is never enough and so many opportunities out there are to be taken advantage of; and worrying from my attitude of always taking calculated risks for whatever it takes.

And as young as 22, my body is telling me to stop stressing over things. I would like to shift to having a healthier lifestyle. I want to have a sound mind-- to breathe more and hold my breaths less.

But then such a shift in thinking and lifestyle has to have some operational definition (like what we do in Psych) in order to actually happen.

At the moment however, here are just some of the thoughts I have:

1. Life should be at least: 50% serious and 50% pure fun.

We have responsibilities which of course, need to be taken cared of (such as work, duties, etc), but from what I noticed those take up 90% of my time and effort. I rarely do things just for fun. Therefore, I think I should increase the frequency of fun, relaxing, nonobligatory duties if I wanna live a long, healthy, swell life.

2. Dismiss worry thoughts.

It's a struggle to actually do this, I find it difficult to not build on my worries. However, if I could not do anything at the moment about my worries, I should let go and let God take care of them.

3. Live for the present.

Worrying and being driven are both cognitive mechanisms targeted to the future. I keep thinking, I want my future to be this and that, but I do not enjoy the present, which was the future I was thinking of yesterday. So what's the point right? It's counter intuitive to not enjoy the present moment. (Makes sense, huh?)

So those are very random and unstructured thoughts I have for being stressed out and consumed all the time.

Gotta stop it!

Christmas Cards

Since Christmas is nearing and I still can't feel the fuzzy feeling I decided to make handmade Christmas cards! I'm thinking of sending these out by snail mail but I wonder if it will ever get to people's houses so until I think about what to do with these, I might as well share them with you guys!

They pop-up when you open them!

Hihi Merry Christmas

メリクリスマス！

Edit: I'm selling too! You can commission me to do a design you like! :-) Leave a message in the comment box. :-) Merry Christmas

On The Top Of Their Game

Before you read on and before you are able to understand how much passion I have of this band, you should watch this. (You're not gonna regret it.)

I was lover of hit charts and music when this band released one of their first big singles ever, Yellow. However, the problem was I disliked them. I dunno why, I was a judgmental young girl who childishly thought boring music videos equated to poor music. I was blinded by MTV.

Fast forward to almost ten years after here I am loving this band to bits I could not even contain it. So I am writing about it.

I used to write a fan mail to them in 2010 which I doubt they ever read. But I'm happy that in 2011 they released a new album called Mylo Xyloto, probably their best yet.

It took them years to make this record and I must say that it shows how their motivation for creating is art rather than profit.

As a fan, I believe that I have followed their career closely and that I would know when my favorite band's fully "ripe" and on the top of their game. I could not stress any much more how their time is now.

My thoughts were further affirmed when I heard on the radio that they are on their way to becoming legends.

Their songs have a story and that's what I like best about them. The sound of their instruments come in close second.

In case you didn't notice I really love Coldplay.

:-)

Danne

Weekdays & Weekends

Trying to go out as much as I could, to see the world!