I’m trying out a new personal project on my blog called “weeknotes.” It’s a write-up about what has happened in my life and a collection of links that I discovered and explored throughout the week. It’s like a journal of sorts, maybe.

Gas pain

At the end of 2023, I had to go to the emergency room, which wasn’t the best way to end an already painful year. I was rushed to the ER around 2 AM due to gastric pain. I had eaten too much mussels (in ginger broth) and was unable to properly digest it. Not an ideal way to end 2023 but not my fault the nilagang tahong we had was yums.

I started off 2024 with yet another gas pain while celebrating the New Year with my family. I’ve been dealing with this issue since 2018, and it consistently occurs whenever I consume anything containing vinegar. Any acidic or sour food triggers it, which means I unfortunately can’t enjoy dipping street foods in sukang sawsawan (sweet/spiced vinegar sauce). I’ve come to terms with the fact that I need to avoid eating green mangoes or having excessive amounts of atchara (pickled papaya).

I started the new year with optimism and positivity, believing that it would bring great things for me and the people I care about. But it’s hard to feel that way when I’m not feeling well.

Metro Manila Film Festival

We watched an MMFF entry, Mallari last weekend. Directed by Roderick Cabrido featuring Piolo Pascual in the lead role, it tells the story of the Philippines’ first and only recorded serial killer. Mallari is also notable for being the first mainstream film distributed by Warner Brothers Pictures in the Philippines. The storytelling wasn’t quite there, and while I liked the editing, I do feel that there were many continuity errors.

The manananggal scene made the entire film ridiculous. The first few jump scares were actually good, but they became dumb halfway through. It felt like I was watching an episode of KMJS Gabi ng Lagim.

Back in the city

We returned home to the province last month a little earlier than usual because transportation is chaotic during the holidays. We got our own room for the ship accommodation because we had Nooning with us, and we wanted her to relax during the trip. We just love spoiling her.

So we’re back in the city after the holidays and it’s already Sinulog everywhere. Pit Señor!

Back in the city also means back to regular programming. I missed my desk, my workspace. It’s just good to be home.

Two massive fires happened in the city this week. The first one, which happened around 9:50 PM, was just 10 minutes away from our place, and it was probably the first time I saw a fire that big. The second fire broke out around 11:00 PM. I was already asleep, but my partner captured a video of it. She initially thought there was a party, but then heard the fire trucks and checked Facebook to find out the location of the fire.

I sincerely hope that everyone affected by the recent fires is safe and sound. My thoughts are with them during this difficult time.

I’m probably procrastinating, but I’m working on the coffee reviews. I promise.

The Week In Links

The Walk and Talk: Everything We Know by Kevin Kelly & Craig Mod - A walk-and-talk is a moveable salon. A small group of people walk together for a week, having casual conversations side-by-side during most of the day. Craig Mod recaps the Thailand walk and talk with Kevin Kelly, Jason Kottke, Derek Sivers, Liz Danzico, and others.

Tangerine - A habit/journal tracking app that I’ve installed this app before and I really liked it but didn’t use it because of the subscription. The free version can only do so much, but I particularly enjoy the haptic touch feature—it adds a pleasant sensation. I’m giving it another try (actually trying multiple habit tracking apps) to set new habits in 2024.

Tom Scott is taking a break after 10 years of weekly uploads on his main YouTube channel.

Wes Anderson co-curates the new film club Galerie with Steven Rales. Galerie aims to guide and deepen the film journey, fostering a community for idea exchange. The digital club provides original content like videos, essays, and live events. Co-curators include Mike Mills and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Subscriptions cost $10 per month.

Eyeing on Anybox, a new bookmark manager. Thinking about this blog post from Numeric Citizen.