Thinking About... Overthinking.

Was there ever a point in your life when you just felt that everything is not going the way you wanted it? Like, you have prepared well for today because you are going to meet up with an old friend and you’re both excited on catching up with each other, but when you are about to leave the house, it started to rain real hard and it started to flood. And then, you’re going to get mad and feel irritated, but after a while, you will realize that everything happens for a reason… 

But, little did we know that the real overthinking starts when we slowly analyze the reason behind everything. Sometimes, I relate overthinking to paranoia because when one over thinks things, it can cause that person to feel paranoid all the time, and that’s what may hinder us from living the life to the fullest.

Most of us are guilty of overthinking. And according to dictionary.reference.com, to overthink means to “spend more time thinking about something than is necessary or productive”. Just a simple situation would turn out to be a really big deal. If somebody doesn’t talk to you, you would think that they are mad, or they hate you, or they don’t like you because you have this attitude, and all sorts of reason you could think of. Sometimes, a person could think of a 101 reason why a certain thing is happening, and the conclusion can lead to a lot more conclusions that would lead to unwanted thoughts. It’s hard when you all have these thoughts running inside your head. It takes away too much of your time and it would crush your brain. 

When we overthink, we tend to be too careful and too safe. But remember, life is not meant to be lived that way. We need to take risks from time to time. So, from being an overthinker, let loose of yourself.

• Know that everything happens for a reason. Know that there is a reason but do not stress yourself on what exactly it is. It will come to you anyway and God will let you realize it at the right time. 

• Surround yourself with happy people. These people do not overthink. They just have fun. They go with the flow and you must do the same! Joke around with your friends and just be happy.

• Pray. Pray and realize that everything is just going the way God has planned it. He’s got your back! *wink*

So just sit back and relax, my friend. Too much of everything is not good. So think! But do not overthink! J

Rockafellas Streetboys!

All of my friends, who have gone to Singapore, always recommends Universal Studios. They say it's a must for me to go there if ever I will be going to Singapore. Just a few days ago, I, together with my parents, have been fortunate enough to be given the chance to have a 4-day vacation on the said country, and yes, Universal Studios Singapore is a part of our itinerary.

On our second day in Singapore, we decided to have a full day stay at Universal Studios! I loved the plan because I am a huge fan of places like this. When I was in Disneyland Hong Kong 4 years ago, I had such a great time exploring the whole place and I just knew that this is also going to be a very fun and memorable day for me! Right before we enter Universal Studios, we were welcomed by its huge and famous globe! Of course, I did not miss the opportunity to have a photo with it.

As I entered the area, I was in awe of everything that I saw. It was beautiful! There were buildings just like in Hollywood and there was this Walk of Fame. As I walked around, I saw different people impersonating famous personalities like Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin. There were mascots and performances everywhere, but one thing that really caught my attention was the Rockafellas. Then, I remembered some shows I have watched in the Philippines before, which featured Rockafellas in Singapore, and as said in the shows, this group was composed of the Streetboys (a famous dance group in the Philippines). And because I wanted to see for myself this group and how they performed here in Singapore, I sat for awhile and waited for their show to start. I began to think, "Lahat ba sila Streetboys? O yung iba lang tapos ibang nationality na yung iba?" I also had a thought like, "Streetboys pa rin kaya ngayon? O may iba ng magpeperform?"

The group has 5 members and as I stared intently on them, I started to realize that they are really the Streetboys that we've know from before! As one of the members said, "We are the Rockafellas Streetboys", I told myself, "Oh em! Sila nga!" And there goes their incredible moves and grooves and of course, their famous tumblings and stunts. Yes, the same streetboys that we knew. Well, actually, there were some changes. Positive changes. Improvements! They were fitter, more confident, and they are really good-looking! More handsome, I'd say. :) The group that I saw was composed of Nicko Manalo, Joey Andres, Sherwin Roux, and Jonathan Granaderos. Actually, there is one more, but I honestly cannot recall his name. (Oh my. I'm so sorry! Could you help me?)

Their segment consisted of an opening dance, a one by one introduction of the members, a country roll call, a 'pass the wave' portion by selected members of the audience, a freestyle portion by the same selected audience, and a closing dance. I liked everything because they were really entertaining and you'll surely enjoy watching, but I have to say that the country roll call caught my attention. In this part, the Streetboys will ask, "Who, here, are from (country)?" And then when the audience already responded, the boys will now greet them in the language of the said country.

For example:

Streetboys: "Who, here, are from the Philippines?"

*Audience responds*

Streetboys: "Kumusta kayo? Mabuhay!"

Streetboys: "Who, here, are from Korea?"

*Audience responds*

Streetboys: "Anyeong!"

And as the roll call continues, I've realized that these boys know the greetings of almost all the countries! Amazing!

After the show, there is a photo op and I did not miss having a photo with them! I can't help but feel really, really proud of these guys! They are bringing the name of the Philippines in Singapore which is really awesome! You make us proud! I have been and will always be a fan of Filipino talents in different parts of the world! Mabuhay Streetboys! Mabuhay ang Pilipino! Iba pa rin ang galing ng mga Pilipino!

What's The Word? Grease Is The Word!

The Australian company of Grease is in Singapore for their tour and I have been fortunate enough to watch it LIVE at the Grand Theatre (Marina Bay Sands, Singapore)!

My family was scheduled for a 4-day vacation in Singapore but watching a musical was actually not in my itinerary. I knew that Grease will be in Singapore on the same dates that we are going to be there, but due to the series of activities that my parents had already planned for us way beforehand, I cannot fit in Grease anymore. I, honestly, felt quite sad but tried to focus on the wonderful activities that we will have.

We met up with our Filipino relative, Ate Lyn, during our first night and we decided to eat dinner together at the Marina Bay Sands. At first I was like, "Oh, this is a really nice place and fancy and really amazing". But then I was like, "Are you kidding me? We are eating in the same place where Grease is going to be shown and I see posters of it everywhere and yet I will not be able to watch?" But to my surprise, Ate Lyn already got me a ticket! Yes! A ticket for Grease Singapore! I was so happy! Even though I am going to watch alone (because my parents decided not to come and just enjoy the Singapore night lights) I knew that I am going to have a great time!

The musical was set to start at 8 pm, so at around 7:30 pm after we ate dinner, I already entered the theatre. I was actually nervous because I going to watch alone and I am not familiar with the setting of the place. Good thing a lot of ushers helped me get to my seat. They were all very kind and accommodating! While waiting for Grease to start, I just stared at the stage and at the backdrop and let things sink in. "Yes, Eunice. You are here tonight and yes, you are about to watch the best party musical ever!" And then, it started.





It was really such an incredible show! The songs and dance routines were amazing! The way actors delivered their lines really got me! Every single one was very effective in their roles! And the whole production, indeed, put a smile on my face that night! Gretel Scarlett and Stephen Mahy were meant to play the roles of Sandy and Danny! Indeed, I had some summer lovin' that night! I also loved the last part when Stephen asked the audience to stand up and to sing and dance with them during a medley of their songs! I would say that it was the best party ever thrown that night! I sang and danced my heart out even though I do not know the people around me. It was so fun! I felt I was also part of the production! Haha!


It was a very wonderful experience and a special one because it was my first time to watch a musical in a different country! I will always be a fan of musicals and I am really hoping that my theater dreams will come true someday! Cheers to more musicals! :)

A 'Wicked' Artwork!

It has been a month and a couple of weeks now since Wicked Manila had their closing night and I still cannot move on. Yes, I can say that I have been very attached to everything "Wicked" because of the truly wonderful and incredible experiences I had during their season here in Manila. Now, allow me to take you back to the moment when I wanted to have a backstage pass so bad.

Concertus Manila and Wicked Manila opened a contest where fans could have a 'meet and greet' with the cast of Wicked plus free tickets for the show. When my good friend, Julia De Leon, told me about this, I did not have any second thoughts in joining, but when I got to read the mechanics of the contest, I was quite taken aback. The catch is, those who would like to join must write a letter answering 2 questions:

1. How have you 'defied gravity' since watching the show?

and

2. How has the show changed you 'for good'?

But that doesn't stop there. An artwork also needs to be done. That artwork part is the thing I'm worried about back then. I have to say that I am not that talented when it comes to art. Drawing, painting, and creating stuffs are not quite my forte. But, I didn't back down. As Barney Stinson would always say, "Challenge Accepted!" So, I took a lot of time (yes, I was this serious!!) thinking and contemplating on how my so-called artwork would look like. And after several hours, I have decided to make it some sort of a pop-up thing, just for a slight impact, since I am not really good in art. So I gathered everything I need and started making something. And here it was.

(The images used in the artwork are not mine. I got them from google images. Elphaba - by Jeff Busby, Glinda - by Maya Wong, Wicked logo - prweb, One Short Day shot - philstar)

Here is also the copy of the letter I composed, answering the 2 questions:

Dear Wicked,

       For the past years, you have enchanted each and everyone of us with your spell-binding musical and told us to never be afraid to defy gravity. But how does one really defy gravity? I have been looking for the perfect answer until the day that I was able to see you perform live. The fact that I was able to watch you up close made me feel that I have already defied gravity. How? With all your powerful voices, acting skills, and dance moves combined, you put my spirit so high as if I, with my own abilities, could make anything happen and that "nobody is ever going to bring me down".

       Everyday, we encounter situations that help us improve as a person, but I can say that your story changes all of us for good because all of us can relate to it in one way or another. As for me, it gave me a better outlook in life and in the way that I treat people around me. It is never right to judge people's differences. Instead, we have to embrace it for I believe that each of us, no matter how different we are, has a purpose in life. It also taught me about the true meaning of love and friendship which is, not being selfish.

       Wicked, you really came into our lives for a reason. Thank you for letting me become part of your lives and rest assured, you have been a huge part of mine!

                                                                                                                                    With much love,
                                                                                                                                     Eunice B. <3


I submitted an entry, as well as my friend, Julia. The two of us both submitting means that our chances of winning was increased because it was said in the mechanics that whoever will win will be allowed to bring a friend with him/her.

When they already announced the winner/s via Facebook, I got quite sad because I didn't win, and yes, Julia also didn't win. But we did not completely felt down because a day before they announced the winners, something great and incredible already happened to us. (Details on a different blog entry *wink*) And although we did not win the contest, at least, we both were able to create something that would definitely remind us everyday of Wicked and of how much we super duper love everything about Wicked!

I Went Up A Mountain!

It has been my mom's tradition to join a group of people for the Way of the Cross on the way up a mountain every Holy Wednesday. I have heard a lot of stories about it: there were too much people, it was so hot, it was very steep, and so on. But this year, together with my balikbayan Tita, I decided to join.

We prepared early, ate early lunch, and arrived at the meeting place (Balite Chapel) an hour before the 1 PM climb at Loklok. Mom, Tita, and I were the early birds. No one was in the chapel when we arrived. Maybe because it was still early and the weather was quite hot that people decided to go on a later time. And so we waited and took the extra time to fix ourselves in preparation for the climb. As the clock ticked closer to one, people started to arrive and I was quite surprised with the volume. My mom was not exaggerating when she said that  A LOT of people come here every year.

Then, at exactly 1 PM, the organizers just said a few reminders and the climb started. With a cap on my head, a bottle of water on my left hand, and a fan on my right hand, I knew I was good to go. The heat of the sun and the steep way up made it quite challenging. With every station of the cross, I started to feel the sweat on my body. My feet and legs started to shake, but I knew there was no turning back!

It took us a couple of hours before we reach the top. There, it was beautiful! The view of the mountains nearby and the sea were truly breathtaking. We also heard mass there and the homily was wonderful. Although it can never be compared to Jesus' sacrifice for all of us, the climb, for us people, was truly a sacrifice. Thank you Jesus for everything! You are truly wonderful!

It was actually my first time to do something like this. It was hard at first. 4 straight hours of walking and standing. I tell you, there was no time to sit. But in the end, it was all worth it!

                        

In A Relationship...With Food!

People say that if you have food on your table and you are able to eat at least three times a  day, you are considered one of the luckiest persons on earth. But what if you eat way more than the expected Breakfast-Lunch-Merienda-Dinner meals? Is it still good?

When I was a kid. I was really, really thin and was very picky with what I eat. Some people would comment that I could easily be flown away by strong winds and that my bones could easily break with just a slight impact on my body. But what can I do? I really do not have an appetite for food unless it is friend or packed in an aluminum container with the label "clover chips". I have always been underweight and honestly, I do not care. I have always seen myself as special and being skinny or underweight can never define who I am. Fast forward to today, I am still skinny and underweight, but the way I treat food now is very, very different. Very unlikely of what was me before, I eat a lot now! I eat any kind of food you offer me. I can eat more than one cup of rice in just one meal and could eat a whole lot more on the next. I still love fried food, but a variety of viand has now been added to my preference. There has also been a time when my merienda is every two hours after lunch. I could say that there came a time when I got out of control with food. Some say that it is good so that I would gain more weight. But being out of control is a no-no.

As a saying goes, "Too much of everything is not good", which clearly means that too much food intake is not good. Aside from the fact that it may bring about certain diseases and may lead one to the road of obesity, there is also this guilty feeling of falling into gluttony, which is really bad. So now, I am slowly learning the art of self-control. Fortunately, though I underwent a phase of losing my control in what I eat, I was able to maintain my weight and figure. I am also quite surprised as to where my food goes because I remained thin and, well, underweight. But I think it has a lot to do with my body's metabolism. Maybe I belong to a family who are typically thin. It is in the genes, they say, but one must never just rely on the metabolism, so I started working out as well.

Maintaining something is hard especially when you are just starting. But you don't want any regrets! So you have to move! Yes, I can say that I am in a relationship with food. Well, we all must be! In the first place, food is one of our physiological needs and according to Maslow, physiological needs are to be satisfied first before our other needs. But remember, self-control!

Eunice Express

Today, with the help of Blogger/Google, I made my own blog account. And I am excited!

From now on, I will write about every experience worth sharing. It is going to be about anything under the sun. Honestly, I am no expert in writing. Everything that will be written here are casual thoughts. And my only wish is that you enjoy reading and hopefully gain something from here. 

Let the writing begin!