I get extra reflective whenever we're approaching mid-year. Perhaps we can say it's like a check-in of sorts. How are you doing? I asked this same question from my 2021 Mid-year Reflections… Read More
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Hello Anna Jo Blog
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"Hello Anna Jo" is a personal blog where I write about my interests and passions in art, music, film, beauty, and sometimes about fashion and places I've been to.
I took a break one wfh afternoon before proceeding to my night calls and the break activity of choice was to was water our plants in the garden. My dad assigned me this chore since he… Read More
It has been incredibly hot nowadays, but it certainly won't dampen my spirits from going on a hike!!My boyfriend and I hiked up to the summit of Mt. Pico de Loro (also known as Mt. Pal… Read More
My grade-high school friends and I went on a hike and draw session on Maundy Thursday. Nature, walking, and art -- it was our attempt to blend our passions in one day trip. This w… Read More
This is perhaps my ultimate Hanoi travel log, wherein I recap where we went and what we did in (and perhaps out of) the city. I enjoyed our activities a lot since these are a mix of all our… Read More
Whenever I go on trips abroad, I try as much as possible to include a day trip to a nearby province. I think it's a good way to experience a much slower and relaxed pace since it's a chance… Read More
Sunrise at Mt. BatolusongLast Saturday, my work friends and I hiked Mt. Batolusong. We're all beginners and for most of the group it was their first time to hike. I've had the interest and d… Read More
I truly have a penchant for being in nature and I think hiking is one of the best ways to immerse oneself. I'm writing this while my memory is still fresh, because I want to remember it all… Read More
I've been spending these past few days just resting and reflecting on the year that was. And now that a brand new year has come, it's another opportunity to explore and try new things or to… Read More
I went to Hanoi Vietnam with two of my high school friends last October. It was a fun girls trip with everything we loved doing because we each had the opportunity to enjoy each others' inte… Read More
I've been to Baguio twice so far this year. I've shared most of my photos on Instagram, but I wanted to document the food places I've been to on here as well since I have this habit of… Read More
I read these books last year, all within the month of September. Forgive me for sharing so late!! But I'm happy to be writing all about the books that have helped me stay afloat and rooted t… Read More
I've decided I'll be easing back into my writing habit slowly. I did not intend to take a pause, although I admit it was mostly because the world was opening up again that I felt like I focu… Read More
Hello, happy new year! Even though it's already March haha. But yes, this is my first blog entry for 2023. There's so much I want to write about, but allow me first to share about my one mon… Read More
A blessed new year to you : - ) I hope you've been well and safe. I wanted to honor my Recent Loves series, and I felt incomplete if I didn't write anything about November and December… Read More
Hey there, it's been a while. I realize this may be the longest I've been away ever since I started writing in this space (correct me if I'm wrong!). But let's see.. it's been 3 months. In t… Read More
My good friend and I buy books from time to time; I'm not sure if I've mentioned it already here on the blog, but public libraries are not a thing here in the Philippines unfortunately. I us… Read More
I was out shopping for office shoes a few weeks ago since we'll be coming back to the office starting next month. I took my time in walking around and looking at all the different kinds of d… Read More
I used to think that it was much better to surround myself with friends who were the same age as I was, or older. Being the younger sibling out of two daughters in the family, I always had m… Read More
I've been meaning to come back to this space for the past few days now; it's always been on my mind but I never really got to do it. I guess now is the time, as I sit with my legs crossed on… Read More
I'm finally writing this only after realizing that I've been on a work from home setup for almost 2 years now. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links*, which means I would earn… Read More
A blessed new year to you : - ) I hope you've been well and safe. I wanted to honor my Recent Loves series, and I felt incomplete if I didn't write anything about November and December… Read More
One night while scrolling through my Instagram feed after work, I came across a clip wherein there was this guy who was telling a girl that she was the most wonderful person he knew on this… Read More
The season has changed at this time of the year as depicted in novels, films, songs, vlogs, and conversations I have with online friends and colleagues living either at the northern or south… Read More
Little weekend moments of mine.» Drove to Tagaytay to buy fruits and vegetables. » I bought stationery and a makeup spray bottle at DAISO, Tagaytay. The store was empty, so… Read More
I remember when September came, I immediately thought, Christmas is near! What a comforting thought it was. It's one that made me smile because it's that time of the year when there's lots t… Read More
It's a holiday today in Manila as I write this, and to be honest I'm quite proud of having written today because I've just been lying in bed this whole morning. Well, except I was up and abo… Read More
I remember I watched the live film adaptation of this novel from years back, so I was drawn to this title when I saw it one time in the bookstore. I watched the film because I'm fond of… Read More
July had a lot of rainy days, binge watching shows, online shopping, and overall just living life mostly (still) in the great indoors. Sharing with you a bit of the small but certain ha… Read More
I write this as I have just finished reading the book, Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi.I bought this book because it had two things I liked on the cover: a cafe and a cat… Read More
I'm writing this as an announcement, that... it's happening, I'm selling prints of my art! Earlier this year, I knew I wanted to continue making art and taking it a notch higher. So I o… Read More
We are half-way through the year! What an amazing feat, I'd say. How have we been? Is the year so far what we've imagined and hoped for?I'd like to make a check-in for myself as well. I… Read More
Hello greetings, dear reader. June is coming to a close, and today is the last Sunday of the month. We're well on the way towards the second half of the year. Welcome back to my Recent… Read More
And so the fascination with clay continues. Aside from my hand building pottery experience with Kibo Studio, I also initiated my own little clay session by myself with air dry clay.While wai… Read More
I enrolled myself in a virtual hand building pottery class earlier in January. I had no prior experience, nor did I have any expectations; I just wanted to try something new. It was my frien… Read More
I could say that May was the month where I got my writing groove back. During my time offs, my mind would drift off to my creative pursuits, this blog included. More than anything, I'd like… Read More
It's been a while since I last shared the podcast episodes I've listened to! Here are a few that I've listened to and thoroughly enjoyed, whether it was during one of my cleaning sessions, w… Read More
I've come to accept that I'm back to watching anime again. I thought my anime watching days were already over as more real life priorities and hobbies took its place, but since I'm still in… Read More
I finished catching up with the latest episodes of Attack on Titan , and also finished reading the manga. Then a few days after, I re-watched everything again, this time with friends. But wi… Read More
And here we go again, another Recent Loves entry! It feels like yesterday that I was collating my recent loves for March, and now we're in May. Here are my efforts to keep uncovering the sma… Read More
My mornings this month have been filled with wonder and anticipation, as I observed my sunflowers blooming one at a time, at its own pace. These little yellow joys have undoubtedly made my s… Read More
March was a very busy month at work for me, so when I took time to think about the things I loved, I sensed there wouldn't be many. I also didn't document much of my days through photos as I… Read More
Sometimes when we're getting to know someone for the first time, the first few questions we commonly ask would be, what do you do for a living? Almost always the standard template response t… Read More
Hello dear reader, I hope you've been well and that you've been taking good care of yourself. I'm just glad we have the weekend to rest, and that I'm able to do more of the things I love doi… Read More
February was short yet sweet, but still with a lot of things loved. For this month, I'm grateful for the warmth of family and friends, for keeping in touch with kindred souls in this va… Read More
One of the things I was happy to take my time with and genuinely enjoy during my holiday break was deep cleaning. I do get to clean almost every day, in small ways such as sweeping the floor… Read More
Sometimes when I read through the little bio I wrote on this blog's sidebar, I'm reminded about the content I share with you on this space, how surely, it's filled with slices of my life, ye… Read More
Years have passed since you left home to bravely pursue your dreams, yet the memories of our time together, whether in our childhood or in our family travels, are still well and alive. There… Read More
Hello dear friends, I hope you've been keeping well and safe, wherever you are. Welcome back to another Recent Loves entry. I have decided to turn this into a monthly series, wherein I… Read More
On the last day of my holiday break, I stood for a moment outside the door of what once used to be my bedroom, now turned into my work from home space. I remembered how things looked so diff… Read More
I've been really taking my time in reflecting on my intentions for this year (reflection never really stops!), and my chosen companion for this endeavor is my trusty bullet journal. All… Read More
This is a blog entry that should've went live last year a couple of days after my birthday in December, but life happened and so I'm sharing these with you now. I think there's no exact 'rig… Read More
This year definitely felt surreal; I felt like I was living a dream I was unsure of describing. I know we've used and seen a plethora of words in attempts to describe the year, and to be hon… Read More
I'm writing this on Christmas Eve! The thrill of the season is still here despite everything. How have your days been? I hope it has been merry and bright, and that you've found joy in… Read More
December is here! I'm doing my best to document it as much as I can, whether it be through my planner, through my phone camera, or here on my blog.I think December is that time of the year w… Read More
Whenever I come back to this little humble space, time just flows and so do my words.. it also reminds me of how it is to be human, because this place is filled with all the things that exci… Read More
I've always wanted to participate in an art challenge, though I never really did it. I knew these challenges would come around in October each year, yet for me, it would always either be: it… Read More
I intended to read Killing Commendatore slowly; I initially aimed to finish it before the year ends- no pressure at all. But last weekend, I got hooked and couldn't stop leafing through each… Read More
I'm writing a Recent Loves entry, because there are actually some things that I've been loving lately, and because writing is my chosen after-work activity for today ~I've been loving this a… Read More
The first thing I did when I woke up today was look over the nearest window in my room to check how the weather was. There was no sunlight peering through the blinds, so it was easy for me t… Read More
I only started walking around again this month, after the loooongest time.My Japanese colleague, someone whom I catch up with in terms of both personal and professional matters as we are bot… Read More
Happy Sunday, dear reader! I look forward to Sundays because it's when I get to write to you. It's also a day full of rest before a new week begins.My last Recent Loves was back in May!! But… Read More
What makes a morning good for you, what makes you look forward to getting out of your bed and starting your day? One of the first things that comes to my mind would be taking time for b… Read More
I have been asked how my garden has been doing lately, especially since it has been raining lots here on my side of this earth. In behalf of my garden, I'd like to share that it is still thr… Read More
Long weekends this year are just a great blessing, really. I appreciate the extra day in a weekend to not worry about being productive.Well, I still do want to use my time wisely, but I try… Read More
Our ways of unwinding after work have surely changed this year. For me personally, unwinding before could be a dinner date with a friend, window shopping in the mall, or falling asleep and w… Read More
Whenever I think about the earlier months of this year, I remember some moments right away without having to think so hard or without the help of a photo reference.A couple of moments I can… Read More
Be Right Back, I'm Out of Office! I miss saying this. The last time I took a break was months ago. I made a resolution to myself that for this year, I would become better at taking more… Read More
Being offline does wonders to the mind and soul, especially now when we're spending most of our time at home.Allow me to open with a song, it's part of my playlist for when I unwind.. 24 an… Read More
Hello dear friends, readers, world! I hope you are doing well. I can't count how many times I have written such a greeting in my emails, but I do mean it. I hope we are all well, and if we'r… Read More
It's already July! And I must say that this is such a great feat, to be able to go through the year despite many things that may be weighing us down. Let's give ourselves a pat at the back.L… Read More
A happy weekend to you, dear reader! It's Saturday today, and it's right before lunch time as I write this at the moment. This morning, I finished my work at our garden, and after which I pr… Read More
Hello dear reader! I hope all is well with you. I'd like to share with you some of my notes which I've gathered since I started gardening during this quarantine season.Finding Respite in The… Read More
Hello dear reader, I hope you've been well. I'm writing to you now, as it's a 3-day weekend since our country celebrated our Independence Day last Friday.Gently Yet Firmly, Into A Restless W… Read More
It's been a while back since my last Recent Loves entry! The last one was in March, I believe. Here's a roundup of songs, podcasts, and a webtoon that I've been loving recently.RECENT J… Read More
Spending time in our garden is something I used to do when I was little. But now at 24, I find myself back here again, and it's where I help out with gardening and where I watch life grow in… Read More
What do you do to slow down time? I'd like to think this is how time slows down: it is whenever we're experiencing something new for the first time, when we're doing something we enjoy toget… Read More
While I certainly do wish I was by the sea, perhaps a night spent playing a happy bossa inside my room feels more like it.Throughout this period of staying home and the so called "social dis… Read More
I filmed moments and in-betweens, a minute or so of everyday in the last week. Or well, I at least tried my best to squeeze it all in for a minute everyday.The above photo was taken from las… Read More
It was that one time in the middle of April (perhaps when spring was in full force in Japan) when my colleague sent me photos of cherry blossoms, which she took from a park near her apartmen… Read More
I painted the walls of my room white last weekend.I've realized the importance of being mindful of our own space nowadays. I never really thought about having a good dedicated space for work… Read More
I had this idea of starting a vlog earlier this year, so I started telling my close friends about it and filming here and there, not knowing that the next time I'd be up and about filming ev… Read More
How small comforts encountered while working from home lightened my week.They say it's best to choose a space inside our homes where you can work beside a window. Working beside a window all… Read More
Two consecutive blog entries, whoa! Well, let's just say I'm a bit too excited, and I spent a considerable amount of time setting this up over the weekend that I figured I must announce it t… Read More
This is what I see from the inside of our humble abode, and it's one that greets me every morning. I'm a morning person through and through, ever since I started working. Mornings for me fee… Read More
I've been playing around with my eyeshadow palette whenever I feel like it, which is quite often lately. My face has been taking one great breather from makeup since last month, but the… Read More
I've gone through my old blogs from the past years, and I've come to realize that I miss the kind of blog entries wherein people would just write about how their days went; plain and simple… Read More
Today I listened to a bunch of productivity podcasts that are fitting for the quarantine season, and I wanted to share some of my insights as I listened to them.Listening to podcasts were my… Read More
We create routines to establish a sense of familiarity, so we can somehow get a grasp of how we can structure our day. Now that I've been working from home full time for an indefinite period… Read More
There are times when I would chance upon something unexpectedly interesting, something I wouldn't expect to find while I'm in the office. A recent encounter would be when I was going through… Read More
I've been playing my flute a lot lately, and it's been reminding me about a lot of things I should keep in mind more often.Lately whenever I have the time, I take out my flute and start play… Read More
I've been trying out a few new things since the year started. Some not really new; some I would consider an effort to rekindle an old passion. I want to describe my thoughts and experience o… Read More
As with every new year rolling in, it means it's time for a new planner/journal. Here is how I've been keeping a planner for the past 3ish years. The first time I kept a planner was whe… Read More
This is the part of the year wherein I type out whatever that comes out of my head; it is an accumulation of all my lingering thoughts these days as the year comes to a close.Here we are dur… Read More
Writing and sending letters and cards digitally in collaboration with Paperless Post.My fond memories of cards started when collecting stationery was a thing back when I was in grade school… Read More
I turned twenty four two days ago! Here's me recapping how the day went.I woke up at my usual time, 5:30AM. I then went back to sleep for a couple more hours, until 7:30AM, since a dear frie… Read More
We managed to squeeze in some time for wandering around Kuala Lumpur to see go see the food street and walk around some alleys.Jalan Alor StreetJalan Alor is known to be a food street of mos… Read More
I realized I should have written about this earlier. I only remembered when my friend messaged me to let me know that she was in Saigon and that she was staying at the hostel my friend and I… Read More
Behind the tall narrow teal door is a historic space now functioning as a cafe called Merchant's Lane.This cafe was easy to miss because the door was narrow and tall, and the signage was jus… Read More
I went to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur together with my friends two weeks ago!It was my first time to travel in quite a big group; it consisted of 6 people in total, with 3 girls and 3 boys. W… Read More