Blogging Insights – Blogging During the “Thing”


This week on Blogging insights – hosted by Tanya at Salted Caramel – asks:

Continue reading “Blogging Insights – Blogging During the “Thing””

Blogging Insights – Planning or Pantzing


This week on Blogging insights – hosted by Tanya at Salted Caramel – asks:

Continue reading “Blogging Insights – Planning or Pantzing”

Blogging Insights Rebooted — Hiatus


After a 6 weeks hiatus, Blogging insights – hosted by Tanya at Salted Caramel – is back and she asks:

Continue reading “Blogging Insights Rebooted — Hiatus”

Blogging Insights # 64 — Talking to Aliens


Continuing from last week’s question, this week’s Blogging Insights – hosted by Tanya at Salted Caramel – asks:

Continue reading “Blogging Insights # 64 — Talking to Aliens”

Blogging Insights # 63 — More About Prompts


Continuing from last week’s question, this week’s Blogging Insights – hosted by Tanya at Salted Caramel – asks:

Continue reading “Blogging Insights # 63 — More About Prompts”

Blogging Insights # 63 — Reading Prompt Posts


This week’s Blogging Insights – hosted by Tanya at Salted Caramel – asks:

Continue reading “Blogging Insights # 63 — Reading Prompt Posts”

Thank you for Visiting!


It’s been a while since I’ve checked my all-time stats. The image above was snipped on January 1, 2021 and I was amazed to see how many countries I have traveled through this blog since 2013. I feel surprised and humble that you all have decided to check out this blog and follow me even though I write about the most ridiculous things sometimes.

I did not even imagine anyone was going to read what I write when I started this blog and I certainly did not think of getting an official domain. If you haven’t noticed, the blog URL is now https://thisisanotherstory.com/. I decided to take the plunge and get a domain name a few months ago.

Before I return to my Monday work, I know I probably don’t say this enough, THANK YOU FOR VISITING.

Photo by Courtney Hedger on Unsplash

Blogging Insights # 62 — Your Blog in 2021


This week’s Blogging Insights – hosted by Tanya at Salted Caramel – asks:

How do you see your blog in 2021? What are your hopes and aspirations for your blog this year?

Continue reading “Blogging Insights # 62 — Your Blog in 2021”

Hello 2021! May You Be as Bright as I have Hoped


Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

Well, it looks like we, at least in my circle, have unceremoniously welcomed 2021 – I worked my 8 hours, ate 2 square meals plus a midday snack, finished listening to The Queen’s Gambit on Audible, blogged, and went to sleep long before midnight rolled around.

Continue reading “Hello 2021! May You Be as Bright as I have Hoped”

Blogging Insights # 61 — Looking Back at 2020


This week’s Blogging Insights – hosted by Tanya at Salted Caramel – asks:

What can you say about your blogging experience in 2020? Has it been different from that in previous years? What have you been posting about most frequently in 2020? Please share links to a few of your favorite posts from this year.

Continue reading “Blogging Insights # 61 — Looking Back at 2020”

Blogging Insights # 60 — Blog Organization


This week’s Blogging Insights – hosted by Tanya at Salted Caramel – asks:

Continue reading “Blogging Insights # 60 — Blog Organization”

Stress Talk #1: I Don’t Know How to Relax


After speaking to my dietitian/therapist this week, I decided to start this weekly series as a way to de-stress from everyday life, to scream at my inner voice and so forth. It might be very random things and some might be humorous. I’ll try to keep it light.

I don’t know how to relax. Is that a weird thing to say? I don’t know how to relax. There, I said it. Can you blame me though even though I’m sitting here now writing this, feeling stressed to the brink?

From what?

From work, family, life.

Do you sometimes feel like you’re being rushed from place to place and never have a moment to just stop and look around you or contemplate on the present? That’s been me for the past twenty-some odd years. My mom wants things done right away. When I was living with my step-dad, he, too, wanted things done in the moment. When I was living with my relatives in China, everything must be done in an instant. It was what was expected of me but it’s never reciprocated.

You know what’s strange?

I never really noticed it until the recent years when I began working multiple jobs while going to school and then I’d come home and my mom would want me to do this and that. Maybe my internal stress meter has been slowly peaking and I didn’t realize it. Or maybe my age is catching up. I’m not as young as when I started this blog 7 years ago. I sometimes would look myself in the mirror and would find crow’s feet at the corners of my eyes.

I recently watched a documentary about stress. In it, eating was mentioned. It turned out sugar is less sweet when a person is stressed and foods are more delicious when one is stressed. Really? I decided to do a test and it’s absolutely right.

Maybe it’s why I’ve been overeating again, even being on an anti-diet. I think I am overeating because I’m stressed. “I feel like pulling my hair out,” I told my dietitian and honestly, I feel like I’m about to break down into one big sob.

I’m overeating because I’m constantly working excess of the 40-hour standard work week. My mom was saying, “the more overtime you work, the better.” I overeat because of the constant disruption. Everybody wants something from me and it seems like that’s the only time I worth something to them. Other times, I’m just a “silly” girl.

My 24-year-old cousin needs help registering from college classes, guess who he turn to? My uncle needs to shop for a car, guess who’s going to do that for him? The family needs health insurance, who will help them buy insurance?

ME, ME, ME, ME, ME!

I tried Intermittent Fasting and Why it didn’t work


This has been on my mind for a while now ever since I began my balanced diet lifestyle but I’ve been too preoccupied to write it all down. So here it is, my experience with intermittent fasting and reasons it did not work.

Yinglan's avatarCrazy About Food

I have been on many diets throughout my life – limited-calories diet, low fat diet, low sugar diet, and clean-eating-to-the-extreme diet – so intermittent fasting was just another diet to lose enough weight

View original post 1,399 more words

What is Father’s Day?


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What is Father’s Day? What is this day about?

Honestly, to me, it’s just another ordinary Sunday. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a proper Father’s Day even with my step-father. I guess we just never been the traditional type but then what’s true definition of traditional?

In the past 15 years or so, even when my step-dad was in our lives, my mom was constantly on double-duty. Then after my parents separated, my mom’s double-duty as dad became more prominent than ever before. She cooks, cleans, mows the lawns, plucks the weeds, and even joins the army, doing activities people at her age should not be doing like climbing ropes and going through rugged training.

So what is Father’s Day, really? Other than the obvious answer that it’s a day all about dad, traditional barbecue, and the great sales at home improvement stores and department stores, what is it all about?

In my opinion, yes, this is a day dedicated to fathers but it is also a day we use to thank them for everything they do for us. Isn’t that true? But wait, you say, don’t we do that everyday already? I shake my head because I feel sometimes we don’t show our appreciation enough.

So for today, give your dad a sincere thank-you, give him a hug or kiss on his husky face, and maybe watch a game with him because this day is all about the thank-yous and appreciations.

Have a happy Father’s Day and a great day! 🙂

Top 10 Posts of 2015


As everyone in the blogging world is counting to 2016, I think I will join in the festivities too. Continue reading “Top 10 Posts of 2015”

Major Changes


I was going to wait until next month to do this project but I couldn’t wait since I already have a theme picked out and everything. All there’s left now is to update the pages. Continue reading “Major Changes”

Doing Something Helpful…


KNOTS_LAW_helpful_revI’m not sure what today’s prompt mean. Does it mean after I help that person, they return a favor? Continue reading “Doing Something Helpful…”

Love-Hate Challenge


A brand-new challenge (Love-Hate Challenge) is coming around the blogging circle and my name has been tossed into the ring by Humaaq. Continue reading “Love-Hate Challenge”

Spread the Love of Blogging


I was tagged by Francesca Smith of A Smith’s World a couple of days ago for the Share the Love Challenge but as always, procrastination takes over but since it’s on my mind right this second, I’m doing it.

Continue reading “Spread the Love of Blogging”

#AtoZChallenge – R For Reminder/Ranch


There are so many words for R. Therefore I’m going to throw out two from the top of my head. Just now, while I waited for my lunch to finish cooking in the microwave, my eyes landed on the calendar. I’ve been very fuzzy lately and often forget the date. I know what day it is, just can’t remember the date. So when my eyes landed on the calendar, I thought it was weird. An eye exam? Today? Oh no!

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The eye exam isn’t for me, it’s mom’s. Gosh I cross my fingers to hope she remembered. If she misses the appointment, it will be all my fault and I will be in such big trouble. I’m already in big trouble last night for not calling her immediately the insurance company never put my old car back onto the insurance policy last October.

You see, that’s a downside of not having a cell phone. I don’t know where she works nowadays and have no clue if she checks the texts and I hate texting, did I mention that? Anyway, if she checks it, great, but if she doesn’t, it’ll still be my fault for not taking the aggressive approach to inquire the insurance agent. In another word, scream at the agent.

Therefore, if I screw up again today, I don’t know what will happen to me. I’m scare which brings me to the second word, ranch. If I can get away now, I will probably go to a ranch. After all, a lot of fugitives (joking, maybe) have known to hide out in ranches. Hey, I’m a fugitive, a fugitive of an emotionally abusive mother. Isn’t that reason enough?

I want to go to a ranch because of the vast space. Acres and acres of grass and land. No burning hot asphalt and certainly no pavement. I would love that. Wait doesn’t everybody?

Source: Pixabay
Source: Pixabay

#AtoZChallenge – Q For Quotes


I told you the theme is random, didn’t I? Today, I decided to be lazy, actually, only here. I have to work on my book report for my class. Therefore, I shall present you with some inspirational quotes. 🙂 Continue reading “#AtoZChallenge – Q For Quotes”

#AtoZChallenge – O For Out with it


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Okay, I’ll just come out and say it. It’s Friday! You know what that means? The weekend!

I’ve been super behind with almost everything this week (blogging, writing 101, work etc). I haven’t gone to work half of the week and I feel like everything is rushing by while I am just standing still. For school, I feel like I’m just dragging myself through it, like my teacher said, “You’re at the last few miles of the marathon, your feet are bleeding and you’re breathless. You just want it over.”

That is exactly what I want, for everything to be over. Yesterday, almost as soon as I stepped through the door, the plumber pounded on the door. I had to take them to the rental home where the tenant complained there was a leakage in the pipes. It turned out our know-it-all ex-tenant, the one who built the basement bathroom without consulting us first, plumbed the place completely wrong. So that was $350 to re-connect the pipes.

Mom was completely pissed when she heard how much I paid. “What were you thinking?”

“You hired the guy.” I retorted. It is super frustrated when that happens.

I was in my room after that, quickly drafted the A to Z challenge post (20 minutes) before writing the post for the prompt. Unfortunately I got a little distracted and didn’t finish it until this morning. I would’ve finished it last night but I was dead tired after coming home from the GMAT workshop at my alma mater. I even fell asleep in the car. Thank god I wasn’t driving.

I’m alone at the moment but I’m afraid this peace won’t last long. Mom’d be home soon. I thought I just throw this post out there before I brace for another weekend of annoyance and anger.

#AtoZChallenge – I For Insane


The past two weeks have been just insane. I feel like all the blog posts have been rushed and I haven’t had the time to really buckle down and do some writing that’s really worth reading. So I can understand why my site traffic is taking a plunge; yes, I’m crazy about that. 😉

I got up early this morning even though I went to bed super late last night. I guess I’m just excited because first of all, it’s Friday and secondly, I have work, a good way to earn some cold hard cash.

I’m mostly excited because all this craziness is coming to pass. I can finally sit down, breathe, and catch up all that’s happened in the blogging world and not worry about to have to run around as I’ve done this week.

So in my post on Sunday, I mentioned I skipped my daily ritual (Daily Prompt) two days in  a row. Well, I have only done it once this week. How ’bout that? First, the prompt are not really inspiring me to write anything, except yesterday which I intend to write in just a moment, and the weather wasn’t not exactly cooperating.

This was a picture I took on Tuesday and it was already passed 9 am when I snapped it. It’s been like that the entire week.

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It rained and snowed on Wednesday not to mention the temperature went from 60’s and 70’s to 30’s and 40’s. I didn’t want to wear my warm down jacket since it’d just been cleaned. I had to settle with my regular thick coat which didn’t do much good against the cold.

Another thing that made my week insane was in my post Sunday, I told you the fantastic news that my instructor had cancelled class on Tuesday. Well, that came with consequences because I spent until midnight on Wednesday night doing all the homework and filling in the notes for Thursday’s class. I was so tired I didn’t even want to get up yesterday but I did anyway with the hope of just getting the day over with. That was difficult. Nothing was cooperating especially the traffic. It took me 45 minutes instead of my usual 20 minutes commute to get home. Thank god I don’t have to go anywhere except work today.

So here is to a wonderful day. 🙂

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