Plans have been laid out, deadlines are all marked on the calendar. Like everyone else, One Valenzuela has been running the rat race early this 2020. Hay, those were the days when you would wish for a long weekend to come to finally have some rest. Or at least, have more time to deal with the pending tasks.
Then all of a sudden, the Taal eruption happened. Then the news on Coronavirus (COVID-19) spread like wildfire on television and in the newspapers. To control the situation, we are made to stay at home and limit our movements in public - specifically avoiding mass gatherings. Only the most essential establishments remained open such as drugstores, groceries, banks, and hospitals. Social distancing and people wearing masks have been the norm.
The community quarantine placed life on pause. That's wish granted for some relaxed days - but, to be honest, this is really a very long pause.
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| Or rather: Ano ang pampa-good vibes na ginagawa ninyo ngayong community quarantine? |
So, how are you riding the situation? Here are a few things that One Valenzuela has done to keep the boat sailing:
Be updated with the situation. Stay informed with the latest news by following official sources of information (i.e. TV telecasts, official Facebook pages of your local government unit like the Valenzuela City FB page and national departments like DOH). Avoid sending unconfirmed information and forwarding unverified images and chain letters which may cause panic and anxiety to others.
Clean the house. Time to finally help your Nanay do the cleaning. And we mean, General Cleaning - BIG time!
Cook. One Valenzuela loves cooking - a lot! Since there is so much time available to prepare meals nowadays, it would be great to cook that food which you miss dearly during your toxic workdays. For example, One Valenzuela baked batches of peach mango pie to her heart's content. And if you still do not know how to cook, well it's high time you learn this skill. But to make sure that no precious food ingredient is wasted, it would be better to have a "knowledgeable other" like your Nanay or Tita in the kitchen to help you out. You know what I mean.
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| In Photo: Lucky Me Pancit Canton na ni-level up! |
Start that passion project. With so much time in your hands, why not start that long overdue passion project?
Begin reading. By now you have probably read somewhere on Facebook or Twitter that Valenzuela City is mistakenly identified as the country Venezuela and it was really quite amusing to see the reactions of several people (Read More on Inquirer: Valenzuela mayor: ‘Di ko alam ako na din pala ang pinuno ng Venezuela’). With this, it is highly recommended that you try leisurely reading again (in between movie watching), hoping to keep our reading comprehension at par.
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| Some of the books that One Valenzuela is reading. These are from Big Bad Wolf 2020. |
Connect and have some quality time with your loved ones. The current scenario can cause anxiety for many and so talking with friends and family will help ease the tension and stress. One Valenzuela would check on her family via Facebook messenger since her sister is also a frontliner. Thank God for video calls!
Attend online seminars and workshops. There are a lot of online workshops which are offered nowadays and you will find a number of them for free! There's photography, drawing, and cooking! Many of the workshops are conducted via Facebook live or via Zoom.
Time out for a movie marathon or Kdramas. No need to elaborate. Netflix has a P149/month plan. Any film recommendations?
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| Completed: Run with the Wind. Being a running enthusiast, One Valenzuela just loves watching this. |
Take a bath. Ligo check! Taking a good bath will help you relax and have better sleep.
Open a Gcash or Paymaya account. Yes, Gcash and Paymaya are two popular e-wallet apps that are very handy during these trying times. Rather than lining up to the bank, learn more about these apps to pay for your bills or to send cash to relatives.
Exercise. Magkaka-abs na yata ako sa pisngi kakakain! Yes, we're developing some mean abs on our cheeks as we kept on overstaying in the kitchen and munching on food. Kidding aside, do not forget to do some cardio and stretching exercises to burn some of those calories.
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| Do home exercises, para galaw-galaw rin pag may time! |
Participate in Online Challenges. TikTok has taken over the Facebook feed and many of One Valenzuela's friends have posted their cute acting and dancing videos. If you are not into it, participate in online challenges which will make you exercise (I challenge ___ to do 20 push-ups until April 30!) or post something creative (Like the #LutongBahayChallenge in the One Valenzuela Facebook page. Thank you to all participants in the Breakfast and Merienda challenges!)
The winners of the two #LutongBahayChallenge: Jenna Lhuillier (Sopas) and Toti (Mais Con Yelo)
Listen to music. Relaxing - into Ben and Ben lately. Or ... why not compose a song?
Travel tayo ... using Google Street View. Nakaka-miss gumala! We all have that feels. For people who like to go visit places, One Valenzuela is highly recommending Google Street View. The Google Arts and Culture Facebook page shows a number of great places to visit like museums and other interesting spots all over the world.
Stop and smell the roses. Tend your garden. It is therapeutic to talk to plants. One Valenzuela has been into urban gardening for quite a while now and producing some leafy vegetables and tea leaves for home consumption is very rewarding. Nowadays, she has been into carnivorous plants like Venus Flytraps and Pitcher Plants which are now part of her small scale urban garden.
Stargazing. The skies are clear during the summertime. Do you have a balcony? If yes, why not lay out a mat and look for constellations?
Stop and smell the roses. Tend your garden. It is therapeutic to talk to plants. One Valenzuela has been into urban gardening for quite a while now and producing some leafy vegetables and tea leaves for home consumption is very rewarding. Nowadays, she has been into carnivorous plants like Venus Flytraps and Pitcher Plants which are now part of her small scale urban garden.
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| One Valenzuela was able to get some wild bittergourd fruits (also known as Ampalayang Ligaw) along NLEX Maysan after a running session. She planted it in February 2020 and now it is ready to produce fruits. Grow your own food! |
Check out TESDA's online courses. The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) reported that almost 20,000 individuals enrolled for free online courses in the last half of March 2020. Registering for online courses makes us more productive while mobility is limited.
Stargazing. The skies are clear during the summertime. Do you have a balcony? If yes, why not lay out a mat and look for constellations?
Spend some time with your pets. Just recently, One Valenzuela was able to get a betta fish from a pet shop near Malinta Market and having the fish during the ECQ was really engaging. Who would have known that bettas can be trained? Her name is Fishball, by the way. For furparents, it's time to groom, feed, play, and goof around with your furballs!
Be there for others. It is truly heartwarming to see a number of Valenzuelanos preparing food and gathering donations for our fellow Valenzuelanos - specifically our frontliners and the needy. Valenzuelano para sa Valenzuelano. There are many ways to help out. Staying at home is already a good start since you are already making our frontliners' jobs easier.
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| A post from Twitter where fellow Valenzuelanos help out medical frontliners. Maraming salamat po! |
Pray. Do. Wait. And trust.
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| One Valenzuela asked friends and they answered these. |
Ikaw, what do you plan to do until April 30?
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