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Kevin Bascao



Brace yourselves as you will see more "New year, new me" posts in the coming days. 

Many people have their list of New Year's resolutions or things they intend to start or stop doing for the main purpose of trying to achieve self-improvement.


In case you haven't come up with your own list yet, here are some suggestions. Some or maybe even most are very much applicable to me as well. Because I know that I am a work in progress.



Say what you mean


Don't say "I'm on my way there" if you are actually just on your way to the bathroom to take a bath and prepare for a meeting that started 15 minutes ago. Say what really is the truth. Your words speak a lot about your integrity. Trust me, lying is a bad habit. 

Saying what you mean could also be saying what you really feel (no sugarcoat). If you feel uncomfortable about something, say it. Discuss it with the party involved. 


Mean what you say


Words are good, but it can break a person, especially if it involves a broken promise. I bet you've already made enough promises in the previous years. Maybe it's about time putting your words into actions.

Not all people have much to be hopeful for from you. Some only got words. Words you said due to intense emotions and words you didn't really mean. Be sensitive enough to know that some people might hold on to your words. They keep your words even if you yourself don't.

Don't wait for the time to come wherein nobody believes what you say because you have history of making false promises. Avoid making promises or statements when your emotions are high.


Stop begging for love






If God was able to love the ugliest and sickest you, then there's somebody out there who can love you and you do not even need to ask for it. Moreover, love comes in different forms. It's probably good not to expect love just from a single person. Remember, you have your family and friends. 

Maybe the right person for you hasn't come yet. But then again, please do not settle for less than you deserve. 

For now, focus on self-care and self-love. So that when the right person comes, you are ready and you know you are capable of giving the right love. 



Focus on what you love, instead of hating what you don't like


When someone is successful, happy or having a good life, others aren't just cool with that. These toxic people live to pull others down. They enjoy watching you fail and fall. Yes, we call that "Crab-mentality". People with such behavior wants to take the spotlight, even if it means destroying others. And that, my friend, is one of the many faces of hatred.

The world we live in today is already full of hate. Adding more makes you a cancer in this toxic society. How about try being part of the cure? Sounds better but pretty challenging as well. At some point, we're all guilty of this. But we can start with promoting what we love and not bashing what we don't. Eat the food on your plate without having to look on someone else's plate. I hope you know what I mean here. 

If you have plenty of time finding flaws and imperfections of other people, then you're missing a lot. You don't give yourself time to work on your own issues. 

Spread love, be kind. 



Invest on people, not on materials



About time you value the people in your life, especially the ones who stick with you during bad times. You know they stay for a genuine reason and not for anything else. Spend time with them, show them appreciation. C'mon, we're not getting any younger and our time in this world is limited. Your clothes, gadgets and cars might be outdated tomorrow. Sure you can buy a new one. But finding good people and building relationships? Nope, not easy at all.

Be bothered when you already love your gadgets more than people.

Give room for your passion and other interests


I hope you are working a job that you love. But even so, you must find time for other things that are also making your soul happy. In this way, you will have a breather and at the same time, you are nurturing growth in other areas of yourself.

Let me give an example. Taking a medical-related course and being in the healthcare industry for years, my love for healthcare has grown over the time. Good for me, I have passion in what I do for living. But when I was a kid, I wanted to do something else. Even now, there are other things that I am also passionate about. I'm talking about traveling and writing. For obvious reasons, I am also following my passion for these things. 





Traveling now is less expensive compared to doing it before and with social media and other online platforms, I can make articles and reach people. It's really up to me now. 

Anyway, point is you have to make time to pursue a passion. If you really love doing something, you will find ways to be able to do it. You know it's called passion for a reason, right?


Fact: The word passion comes from Latin root word pati-, meaning suffering, or enduring. 

Be good to people with good hearts


Simply because they are rare nowadays. You don't wanna be the reason for their change of hearts. Instead, be someone who will bring change to the bad ones.

For the record, it's generally good to be nice to everyone. We don't always know what a person is going through but we know how we make one person feel around us. 

You have no idea how much you affect people. 









I personally believe that you can initiate change the moment you decide to go for it. You don't have to wait for the year to change.

On the other hand, I think it's still good that people see the changing of calendar year as something like a turning point in their lives and so they anticipate a lot of good things to happen in the future. It gives people a great sense of hope. A renewed kind of hope.

With this renewed hope, people are starting the year right and they are looking forward to become better version of themselves by setting objectives and achieving those objectives throughout the year.

I guess New Year's resolutions are good after all and definitely not something to make fun of. There's nothing wrong with wanting to change and wanting to be better. If you desire change, you are already half way to making it happen.


Happy New Year!







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Have you ever wanted to say something to someone but for some reason you can't and don't? In this blog, I will be thanking random people in my life who made an impact to my 2018. 

Each paragraph is dedicated to a specific person or a group of people, mostly anonymous or unidentified.


I would like to start by thanking my friends for keeping me sane when I had a very depressing moment. Get yourself friends who will stay up late during times you need someone to talk about your problems to. Not who will stay up late with you only when partying.

Thanks to you for listening every time I have something to say. Funny how some friends are near me in terms of space and time but didn't care to check on me even once. You did. You always do. I'll see you next year!

Thanks to those kind people who helped me and my family get through this yet another challenging year.

Thank you toxic people for not believing in me. I learned to believe in myself when nobody does.




Thanks for proving me that 2 people from the same age group can be the complete opposite of each other. More importantly, age doesn't define maturity. Double my age, that's almost your age. No offense, I find myself more mature than you.

Thank you because I'm now 101% sure that money can't buy class or at least good manners. This is why I admire kind people more than rich people. But you know what? I know some rich people who also happens to be the nicest people. I may not be as wealthy as you but at least I'm not as mean as you.




Thank you for coming home after being away for quite some time. Know that you are not alone because there's always a place you can call home. We'll always be your home. I wonder how long it will take for you to realize that.

Thanks to my mom for waking me up many times before I actually get up every morning. Thanks to my dad for always fixing something that is broken. I mean that in many different ways.


Thanks to my younger sister who is one semester away from graduation. Thanks for not failing me. And thank God, I have no idea how I managed to pay her tuition along with my bills, personal needs and other responsibilities.







Thanks to my travel buddies who also became the best travel photographers I know. If at one point I became too demanding, I apologize.

Thanks to the locals and tourists that I met during my travels. Every travel is great because of the people I meet along the way. We have different languages and cultures but it wasn't hard for us to establish connections. We're not so different after all. We're all the same, we're humans. 





Arigato! I miss Japan. I hope when I get back I could speak even just basic Nihonggo so we could talk. Maybe meet and have fun with your friends too. Sounds good? How about next year?

There was this time when I felt regretful because we broke up. I sometimes think how my life will be if we end up being together. After our relationship, I never talked about future the same way I used to. Thank you, my first love. I guess I will not be as supportive as I am to my family now if I already have my own family or maybe I take it as that when it's really just a form of defense mechanism to protect my ego. Anyway, I'll always have a portion of you in me.

Thank you ex for asking me to meet you. At some point, I thought you were finally giving me the closure we never had. I end up listening to you talk about your new boyfriend which in a way was better than a closure. Seeing and hearing how in love you are with him gives me a great sense of freedom and assurance. Bye for now. I mean, for good.





To all the people I've worked with, I learned at least one thing from each of you. I hope I made a difference in your life. Thank you, always a wonderful experience to both be able to teach and learn at the same time.

To you, whoever is reading this, I appreciate your time reading my blog.

To my social media friends, thank you. I hope you post more positive stuff, though. ☺️

To my newly found friends, workmates, team, churchmates, acquaintances, thanks and welcome to my life!

To the person who sticks around me no matter what, I'm not sure how exactly you are doing that but thank you.




Above all, I thank God for everything.


2018 was many things. It's a year of many depressing moments and a year of blessings at the same time. It's been a year of learning and growth. I feel like I've gained so much wisdom from this year's experiences.

Maybe I'm good with words but not always in delivering them especially in a face-to-face interaction. One thing about making blogs is that you can easily express yourself and say words you don't usually say every day. If you think one of the messages is for you, then maybe it is.



Looking forward to 2019! 





**P.S. All photos are mine**


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Fact: Vietnam is one of the largest producers of coffee in the world. That's wonderful news for someone who is obsessed with caffeine. I knew I was in the right place! I went around Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) and here are some of the best places to have your coffee sesh, alone or with friends.

The Hidden Elephant Books & Coffee

Address: 35 Phan Chu Trinh, Phường Bến Thành, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh is a very busy city and you may find the streets very crowded even on normal days. If you just want to instantly get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, this cafe is your best escape. Simply because loud and noisy people are not allowed in here. To be quiet and be mindful of other people who are trying to relax, that's the golden rule in this cafe. I came here after I got exhausted from buying stuff from Ben Thanh Market. This amazing escape is just across the street, facing the side of the busy marketplace. Perfect place to regain my energy before I went back to my hotel. I thought introverts and book lovers will love this place. Most of the books are not written in English, though. 







Cafe Trầm

Address: 100 Trần Huy Liệu, Phường 15, Phú Nhuận, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

Here, I did not only enjoy the coffee but the food as well! I had too much fun strolling and exploring corners of Ho Chi Minh streets that I forgot to have my lunch. Good thing, I found this place. What makes it special? The presence of nature. They have this fish pond, trees and almost everything around me was made of woods. I like the idea of respecting nature and making it part of the structure. It was an awesome experience! There's no better feeling than drinking vietnamese coffee while seeing a naturally beautiful view. 







The Loft

Address: 26 Lý Tự Trọng, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

This one is also a hidden gem. I found it inside an old building. I was quickly shifted to a different world as I opened the door. I just loved the atmosphere. Perfect place to have some quiet time and work on your projects. 

They have this large clock that is impossible not to notice. It's one of the things this cafe is famous about. It's beautiful and very instagrammable. Hello millennials!








Cua Hang (81 Cafe)

Address: 216B Nguyễn Văn Nguyễn, Tân Định, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

I just love the homey vibe scattered all over this place and I mean that literally. Outside, you see a simple and a very traditional house. When you go inside, it is indeed a house! It's very cozy and comfortable. I felt a good sense of belongingness when I was here. That's how comfortable this place is. Special mention on the decor and all the old stuff put in this place. Very unique, I love it!

I ordered juice and not coffee because I was having gastric reflux at that time. Oops! Seems like I enjoyed Vietnamese coffee too much that I didn't notice I already went beyond my usual limit.








Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - A paradise for coffee lovers. Not only they have tasty coffee beans but also some really unusually beautiful cafes. One thing I learned from the owners of these precious gems is that preserving nature and culture is important in doing business. That, along with excellent customer service, makes a totally amazing coffee experience. 

Awesome, Vietnam! Coffee alone would be enough reason for me to keep coming back to you. Now here's to more coffee sesh in the future!


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Hey, guys! It's been a while. I'm not really busy but I didn't have much drive to start writing a new article. Then there's this contemplating on what subject I am going to write about next. I felt this pressure within me because I know for a fact that I am not as brilliant as a legit writer. I feel like I need to write for my readers, like write something people would be interested in. But you know, I also feel the need to express what I feel by putting my thoughts into words. And that's exactly what I will do here.

Anyway, as some of you know, I went through hard times recently. I've been hard on myself as I was trying to figure things out even if nothing really made sense.





In my case, it was difficult finding answers to my questions. I was in search of somewhat real sense of happiness. You know what? I never really found it. I guess it's safer to say that happiness, rather, found me. It took me a huge amount of faith, though. I knew I just had to keep moving forward no matter what.
While I was away from the keyboard for two months, here are the things I've learned so far:

1. Money alone will not make you happy


When you have little or no money, you see the most important things in life. Practically speaking, being rich is a form of accomplishment. But it doesn't always mean that you are truly happy. Inner peace, passion and happiness starts from within. Money is never a pre-requisite of these things.

If you find money as something equivalent to happiness, you better save a lot of money because you'll never know how much you need to acquire to be truly happy. 

It's a form of blessing but it's not everything. Life is more than that. Worship the real source of blessings. Not the blessing itself. 

2. Passion > Money





I've been in a situation where I had to choose between the two. I learned that I never really focused on discovering what my real passion is. I have always been concerned about paying my bills and stuff like that. At first, it feels just fine. But in the long run, it will make you exhausted. You are doing things just because of the pay it gives you.  Don't get me wrong, we all need money. What I'm saying is, if you have an option to pursue something you love and earn money (even just enough money) by doing so, go for it. It feels good to do something out of passion. It makes you human because you feel a deeper sense of purpose and fulfillment.

I also remember someone once told me this: "Money is never a good source of motivation".

3. Losing in life is sometimes necessary. It's called "Redirection".


Remember this: An arrow has to be pulled back in order to launch forward.

All setbacks are painful to experience. The moment you are on it, nothing will make sense because all you feel is pain. But eventually, you will be surprised where it will lead you. You might be in a completely different path but who knows, it could be the best one for you.

You know it's the right one if you prayed for it. If it makes you excited, if your heart is in the right place and your motives are generally good. It could be worth giving a shot!

4. Being at the lowest will give you a fresh new perspective



When I was at my lowest, I realized how much I was taking everything for granted. Apparently, it's also during that time when I learned to see the real value of having genuine people in my life whom I also took for granted. 

I thought taking something away from me will blind me, figuratively. I was wrong. God took away something that made me blind in the longest time.

Now I see better. I see more. I think I now have this great sense of value for everything in life. And that's because I've been through some bad times.



5. Suddenly, everything feels right.



It makes total sense to know how to be able to go up just because you fell same way down. You just know when it's time to bounce back. You stand up stronger and wiser. I'm telling you, this is the most beautiful thing after a meltdown.

The very thing that stressed the hell out of you has become a memory and a sign of maturity. When you look back and think about it, you can't help but just smile. That's one reassuring moment for anyone to have.

It's not about how many times you've been down as long as you keep on standing up each time you fall. Just keep moving forward!

True enough, every setback is a set-up for a comeback. And every comeback is an opportunity to make things right and better. 

You got this. 




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Part-time blogger, Full-time dreamer

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