Hello ots! Who am I and why am I writing another food blog? (Or even just another “blog” for that matter… because hello it’s not 2003, right?) And since I don’t know how to vlog, like I’m supposed to in 2019, I’ll just write a gratuitous post on moi.
I did not intend for this to be solely a food blog. I simply wanted a space for my writing. These days, just like the next person, I cannot not take photos of my food, and thanks to my Top Chef addiction circa 2008 (and let’s face it my millennial genetic predisposition for “foodie” echos). So here I am writing about my food and travel experiences. Honestly, there is nothing new here. I am no one. Filipino food bloggers are abundant, with great photos, regular postings, many many travels, and informative vlogs on what’s hip and new in the metro, and I’m not one of them (yet, chos).
My goal is to see if I could START and KEEP writing about things that interest me, mostly food but sometimes blowjobs. JK. Sometimes I would probably write about non-food related writing, like things that depress me, books I loved, what keeps me up at night, personal stuff.
Still did not answer who the hell I am, did I? Lol.
My name is Aika. I studied literature in college. Back then, my biggest dream was to become an actress. I’m not kidding. I also thought about writing, but college readings and never-ending school papers left a bad taste in my mouth. By the time I’ve graduated, I hated reading and writing altogether.
As for my actress aspirations, obviously, it did not come to fruition either. I got caught up in chasing boys, playing house with my then-boyfriend, and being depressed because of said ex-boyfriend. The next few years of my twenties had me flailing endlessly in all directions, with “fear” as my guiding principle. I still had notions of becoming a writer, but these days I’m unsure of how resolute I am of this dream.
Today, I work from home as an online research and data entry specialist. I do online work for the biggest search engine in the world. Sounds fancy if I put it that way, but it’s really not. I do data entry covering all things under the sun. If you don’t get it, don’t worry you’re not the first one. Suffice it to say, I have a great job, not glamorous nor creative, but one that pays my bills and my lifestyle just fine.
In my spare time, I go where my interests take me. I’m beyond grateful I am able to do this now. Just like the next person, I want to see places and eat new food. Admittedly, my proclivities tend toward the more pretentious, fancy, rich-people stuff. I’ve struggled about this because I grew up poor and that mentality is never lost on me. I’m no alta bitch by any means, but I cannot resist a fine dining restaurant or a five-star hotel if given the chance. All my life I’ve been poor, would it be too much of a sin to want the nicer things these days instead?
On the saner side, I also cannot resist a chance to experience the culture and the local flavor of the places I visit. I am, after all, a die-hard Anthony Bourdain groupie. Anything that my late hero endorsed, I want. He was, in my eyes, the eternally curious, the epitome of the real “cool” guy.
These days, I have also tried my very best to renew my love for reading. Since 2008, when the internet exploded its tentacles to my ever-expanding digital life, it has been harder than ever to start reading a book let alone finish one. If you know me, you know my apartment is filled with books, unread books. I wish to one day acquire as much focus and enthusiasm as I have in collecting new books to reading them. Oh, and I love anything by Heather Havrilesky, Meghan Daum, Ruth Reichl, Anthony Bourdain, lots of non-fiction, lots of travel and food essays, and lots of think pieces about social media, vanity, and the internet. (I need to talk about this in another post).
For now, this blog will cover mostly my food experiences from the point of view of a noob, a middle-class (although more like the masses, new-rich) wannabe dilettante. I want to write from a place of honesty, even if it means being fanatically gushy about certain things that truly impressed me. I intend to explore how much I can actually keep up with my poor writing vis-a-vis food, travel, culture, love, self, lessons, reading, women, art, Filipino-ness, feelings, lots of feelings.
I don’t think there’s anything unique here except another example of someone trying. So if you’re trying too, welcome to my space!
Joanne Aika 