A Very Belated 30th Year Post

In the past few years, I'd usually publish some blog posts around the time of my birthday recalling events and memories from the past year. I have neglected to do this in honor of my 30th birthday. BOO TO ME! Weeks before my grand 30th birthday, I have already planned to make a video instead of blog posts since I had such a hectic, fun, and super busy year leading up to my 30th birthday. So here it is... To my family and friends, thank you for another memorable year! I won't be able to name all of you since there's so plenty of you. Most of you are in the video... some of you are not. But I love you all dearly, nonetheless. Yes, even the critics, haters, and stressors. And thank you, thank you, thank you for a wonderful birthday, even though it was spent working! ;) Looking forward to more than 525,600 minutes filled with memories, lessons, laughter, tears, and love with all of you. Live. Love. Learn.

Ria Jose Birthday Party with the DS Kids

100 Days Project: A Unique Birthday

On April 28, 2012, I will turn 30 years old. To celebrate this milestone, I have decided to start a 100 Days Project. A challenge to blog each day for 100 days until my birthday. The blog post may be about anything but mostly magical memories from the past 30 years. And this is my first post. Last year, two months before I turned 29, I joined the Junior Chamber International (JCI). My chapter is JCI Davaoena Daba Daba. With this participation and the influence of my Mommy, I decided to celebrate my birthday in a different manner. My Mommy, you see, always takes time to celebrate her birthday with kids from the Waterlily Foundation. I, on the other hand, decided to celebrate my birthday with the kids of the DS Foundation, a non-stock, non-profit organization that provides education for kids with Down Syndrome. The DS Foundation is one of the partner organizations and beneficiaries of Daba Daba. About 2 months before my birthday, I picked a date to have a party at DS Foundation and called on all my relatives and friends to share their time and resources for the celebration. And I was very happy by the response.…

Photography by Eight Espino, Hair and Make Up by Envy Me Salon

My 29th Year Part Deux

Despite the illness, the challenges of my house arrest, and the extra safety and health precautions I have to take, I am very grateful to be alive. There was a change in me. and people noticed. I gained a ton of weight, around 20 lbs. And then there was less drinking, less night outs, less stress, and less work. While I was sick, I had to skip a lot of events and was given less workload. While resting, I pondered on a lot of things like love and relationships, forgiveness, letting go and moving on, and many other things about life and dealing with its challenges. This was when I accepted that I couldn't control a lot of things in my life and I accepted it, not quite wholeheartedly, but there was acceptance. I realized that there was really nothing else I'd like to do more than to write. And I told myself I was going to be ok as long as I can write and share my crazy thoughts to the world. I was allowed to go to Metro Manila with the Avatar Media Team for WordCamp Philippines 2010. I delivered the opening remarks to the event and was…

Ria Jose

2011 Birthday Wishlist

Dear family, classmates, acquaintances, business contacts, blog readers, and friends, It's April. My birth month. My birthday is April 28, 1982. I'm turning 29. And you guys have about 27 days to think about it and buy me a present. I've had a really great year on earth and I'd like to give back. If you want to make me really, really, really happy, you can help me out with my birthday celebration that I will be having with the kids of the Down Syndrome Foundation. The Down Syndrome Foundation is one of the partners of the JCI Davaoeña Daba Daba. You may contribute your time, food, or money to the kids during my celebration with them sometime early May. I hope that you can join and help out in this thanksgiving celebration. Any form of help or donation for the celebration or for the Down Syndrome Foundation will be very much appreciated. Or you can do one of these things: Donate blood to the Philippine Red Cross. It can save lives as blood donations saved mine. Donate to the Help Japan Project. It's a project led by my high school classmates. Donate books for the JCI Davaoeña Daba Daba…

Diyosa Blogger

My 28th Year Part Deux

Continuation... And to start off 2010, I listed down 10 things I'd do in 2010. I have been on track so far. I am able to buy myself a new netbook. And not just any netbook, but one of the best in the market today. Hooray! I also enrolled myself in belly-dancing classes and joined a hip-hop class.I have stopped belly-dancing classes, for the meantime due to my busy schedule but I plan to go back to it soon. And I intend to join hip-hop classes again soon. :) The poker gods have been good to me the past year. I won in several poker tournaments and is now considered a serious poker player. Another goal for me this 2010 is to visit more places in Mindanao. I was lucky enough ti have been invited by the Manansala sisters to take part in General Santos City's Kalilangan Festival. I was a judge in their Queen of Mindanao Festivals Pageant and I enjoyed it very much. I saw new sights, gained new friends, and gained some pounds as we ate the best dishes from the city. I am also happy that I am now working with several establishments that I love:…

Happy Birthday Ria Jose

My 28th Year

This is a very belated birthday / year in recap / thank you post. I have had one of the best years of my life since I turned 27 last April 28, 2009. But it was also the year of a major heartbreak and a big change in my online life and work. It also saw me change in size, in the work I'm doing, and in the skills that I have. It was definitely a year of changes. Join me as I run through the events, people, and things that made my 28th year very memorable. :) My 28th year started out in a bad way. I just came out of the hospital and I was starting to have an on and off / complicated relationship with somebody. The hospitalization made me take care of myself more and I realized how much people care for me. Got sick again with a severe asthma attack later during the year, but it was nothing compared to the pharyngitis. The relationship? It made my year extra interesting and emo. Due to my illness, I lost a lot of weight. As in a lot. From waistline 38 down to 29. But I didn't…