Online Purchase Review: POPCULTCHA from Australia

It has been a while since my last post... again! Having a lot more time now to do some reflections and re-assessment of all the things that I have been doing. I have decided to revive this blog again. 

So to start off, I will be introducing a new website where you can buy toys, toy vinyl collection, board games and etc. I live in the Philippines, so giving my personal insights on websites from overseas on how the order process, packaging of items, how it is shipped and its condition after receipt; I think would be very helpful for those who are planning to buy the same items or related that I bought. 

POPCULTCHA.COM

Website: https://www.popcultcha.com.au/

Italian Coffee: Second Chance and Healing

 Before I went here in Italy, I thought that I can't enjoy the simple things to enjoy here like drinking coffee and wines because of my hyper acidity in my stomach that sometimes would lead me to experience excruciating heartburn.

Coffee time at La Menagere, Florence, Italy

Which I got when I exactly turned 23 years old, after having a drinking party out with my college friends. Since then I swore off drinking coffee, alcohol and even softdrink at the same time.

But it all changed when I tried the coffee (caffe latte- a more safer choice because it is more milk content) here in Italy, at first I experience mild LBM but the good thing is that my stomach doesn't react to it anymore. They say like an allergic reaction, you can train your body to slowly get used to the things that your body is rejecting. So that is what I did and it worked!!

God's Better Plan

It is just now that I realize what is the plan of God for me, bringing me here in Italy instead of UK, which was my first choice for further study. My mom is right, there is always a good reason why things doesn't go the way that I want it.

Just now, I was scrolling through Facebook and saw the news yet again another terrorist attack in London, UK. The second time in the same place within the year. Whenever I see these kind of news, I immediately message my friend, Jen, who is currently studying there for a year. She told me just these past few weeks that the situation there is quite hard to grasped and uneasy ever since the first terrorist attack had happened. Praying for the families and the people of UK for them to be able to get through this hardship and be able to feel safe again within their own country.

I'm thankful for my mom, who didn't given up on me when I was already giving up on my plan, and for always telling me that there is a greater plan that God has prepared for me.

Until next time,
M

My 100th day in Italy and Start of Summer Break

Time flies so fast, I'm already here for more than 3 months. It seems like just yesterday that I arrived here in Florence and even now our summer break had just started.

@ Piazzale Michaelangelo; Neha, Nhi and Me (L-R)

I'm still dumbfounded with how long our summer break would be, it would be more or less 3 to near 4 months long 😅 I didn't even prepare or listed down anything to do for my summer break as to I was expecting it to be just 2 months long. But thanks to my summer companion- Neha, we will be doing various educational activities and visiting many places. We will hopefully be able to spend our summer well :)

Here are some pictures of our earlier week summer day out:

1. Urban Sketching at the Piazza della Santissima Annunziata

 

 

New Life Chapter

Hi! I know it's been a while since my last update in this blog, I've previously been busy in working on and pushing my papers. For me to be able to pursue my further studies, like in what I have shared in my last post.

Good news is that I'm here now in Italy, pursuing my further studies after long and tiring months (3-4 months) of going back and forth the Italian Embassy. It has not been an easy road for me to be able to go here and I even got depressed at some point, because I got rejected in my 1st application, few days before Christmas of 2016. During that time, I even thought of giving up my plan and dream of studying abroad. But I'm thankful for my family and friends that pushed me to think positively about it (after I submitted my 2nd application, because I was given a chance to be able to submit again) and supported me along the way.

A Year After I Decided to Pursue my Study Abroad Plan

Deciding to study abroad is a big step and would eventually change once life and ideals. I have been looking forward to be able to get a chance to  further pursue my study in Interior Design since I graduated last 2013. Then last March 2015, me and my best friend "E" decided to attend the Great Britain Fair at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, and there it all started and that I decided to apply to study abroad.

Magnetic Bookmark

Just recently I stumbled upon a Instagram account that sells this super cute Magnetic Bookmarks. The artist and online store is @craftedvan, the store idea is making their own version of known characters like Harry Potter and his friends, Up, , and even Sailor Moon and the Sailor Warriors (actually this is the set that I want to purchase).

Unfortunately, the problem is their online store is based on Canada. Though they have an Etsy store for international clients. But calculating it and knowing the price of the item and also adding the shipping cost from Canada to Philippines, it would be too expensive just for a Magnetic Bookmark. 

That is why I decided to make one for myself, I also search the internet if there are other online crafters in the Philippines, who makes and sells this kind of bookmark. After looking into it, I found that there aren't any seller magnetic bookmark here. So I decided to make one, being a crafter myself.

This is my first collection sketch.