A journalism student asked me recently how one can improve their confidence when doing field work, in events (after this pandemic, of course), and in doing interviews. True confidence is achievable for everyone. It takes time but it can definitely be developed. There's a lot of self-talk, experimenting, and pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. It's never too late to start! ✨
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I've met and interviewed leaders, and I'm friends with people from practically all walks of life. I'm often asked why I never seem to feel shy to ask questions and just be friendly. Who am I to just come up to people, say hi and make friends? My answer is always simple: Does it matter?
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Hope you find these tips helpful no matter which field you are in. Remember – no one is better than you and you are better than no one. Thanks, Mr Jefferson. 😉
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#AlmostDiplomatic #Manila
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#motivation #confidence #selfimprovement #empowerment #focusforward #getitdone #womenempowerment #manilablogger #diplolife #diplowife #diplomaticlife #diplomatswife #asia #southeastasia #expat #expatlife #expatliving #livingabroad #liveauthentic #womenwhohustle #living_europe #quotes #mondaymotivation #lifeinmanila #quotes #womenhelpingwomen #confidencequotes #confidenceissexy
Honesty hour: I grew up with a high-pitched voice. It still comes out every now and then when I get too excited or when @juanchothecorgi does something extra cute. But I think it’s a lot better now. 🥲 Back when I was a newbie TV reporter in my 20s, some people thought I didn’t know much about the topics and beats I handled because my voice was a little too high and I was younger than other journalists I often covered stories with. I was a magnet for mansplainers and it was taking up a lot of my time. 🤭 While looks and high pitched voices can be deceiving and it shouldn’t really be my problem, I still wanted to be taken more seriously in the profession I chose.
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So, I trained my normal voice to be closer to my reporter voice. It worked. It was also useful when I was attending receptions as a diplomat’s wife. I was taken more seriously, especially when I talk about freelancing as a lifestyle journalist, teaching, and being a content creator. Social media was something that wasn’t taken as seriously in such events just 8 or so years ago. But now, more people see the need to adapt to it and has become quite an interesting topic. ✨
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Swipe to learn more, save to come back to it when needed, and share this with a friend who’ll find it useful!
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And if you have more tips, leave them in the comments below! 💖😘
If you’re Manila-based and overdue for a reset, Payapa Wellness & Spa in Parañaque is worth the drive — about 35 minutes from Makati on a good day via Skyway.
The space does the work before the massage even begins. Calm, beautifully designed, with the kind of atmosphere that makes the city feel very far away.
We ended the afternoon at the Harvest Tea Room, which I wasn’t expecting to love as much as I did. The tea concoctions were creative and considered, and the food — served on a tiered stand, no less — was a genuine surprise.
Not every escape requires a flight. Sometimes it’s just the next city over.
Thank you to the wonderful @kate_paras , Beauty Editor of @metromagph and the whole team for organizing such a lovely afternoon. 🤍
📍 Payapa Wellness & Spa, Parañaque
#AlmostDiplomatic#ManilaSpa #WellnessManila #ManilaLife #ExpatManila
My beloved ONELIFE just turned 13 — and they’re giving something back. 🤍
I’ve been coming to @onelifestudio since 2022. Life gets busy, my physical activities have become high-intensity, and somehow ONELIFE is still the place where everything slows down and comes back into balance. It’s where I take care of my body in a way that actually lasts — so I can keep moving through every season feeling strong, supported, and pain-free.
Thirteen years of that for so many people. That’s definitely worth celebrating.
To mark their anniversary, we’re giving one of you a New-to-ONELIFE Starter Pack worth ₱8,500. ✨
If you’ve been meaning to start — or reset your movement routine — this is your sign.
To enter:
🤍 Follow @onelifestudio (and me, if you’d like)
🤍 Like this post
🤍 Tag a friend who’d love this — each tag = 1 entry
✨ Bonus: Share to your Stories and tag us both
📢 Winner will be announced May 11 via IG Story.
Head to BGC on May 12 and swing by their Anniversary Pop-Up where you get to enjoy their biggest sale of the year, a chance to explore their services, and a few more surprises. 🎉
#pilatesmanila #giveawaymanila #giveawayph #movementforher #pilatesworks
Peak girlhood, as @alymeetsworld would say. ✨
Women’s month came with one of those days I’ll genuinely remember — and I’m finally sharing it.
Thank you to @continuiti for bringing together the most inspiring group of women and for letting us play dress up in the most beautiful way. Their showroom in Salcedo Village is basically your dream Barbie closet — wedding dresses, formal gowns, Filipiniana for national day events… everything. And the concept? Rent, don’t buy. For those of us in lifestyle media whose closets are already at capacity, this is honestly such a smart, sustainable answer.
We also customized our own tank tops with @inthemoment.apparel (obsessed), then headed over to @cedowellness — another Salcedo Village favorite.
Some of the girls hit a workout class while @cassandrafrux and I did contrast therapy. Last time I did this was in Helsinki. I was so cold! At Cedo, I found out that 15C is apparently my sweet spot. 😅
To @rocioescano and the whole Continuiti team — thank you for keeping the women-supporting-women energy so alive. This is exactly the kind of community I’m grateful to be part of. 🤍
Shoutout to these brands who spoiled us that day as well!
@moai.concepts@pennypairs@sunniesflask@inthemoment.apparel@hunnywax@sunniesface@esteelauderph@talao_studio@auraathletica@creamsilkph@ancientandbrave.ph
The Devil Wears… @edwintan_ph . 👠 Had the pleasure of witnessing @onenadelamed bring home two distinctions at the @aestheticsbygalderma.ph Awards last night: the Black Diamond Award and the Restylane Breakthrough Award.
Over the course of the evening, @dr.vinizza shared with me how far the clinic has come. They have truly gone from humble beginnings to becoming one of the most recognized names in the field today. Their vision was always clear: to offer their family of doctors’ brand of professional, patient-centered aesthetic care in a way that feels elevated, welcoming, and never intimidating.
Huge congratulations to my dear friend @dr.vinizza , the whole One Nadela Medical Team, and a big hug to my fake boyfriend @vitoselma (lol he’s going to kill me) for bringing everyone together. 💞
A slow, artsy afternoon with @hermes . 🧡
“Hermès, Drawn to Craft” transforms the courtyard of Ayala Triangle Gardens into an open-air celebration of craftsmanship all weekend (April 10-12), from 7AM to 6PM. Guests can draw or color freely, with Hermès providing all the art materials — and even mailing your finished artwork for you.
It felt like Montmartre for a moment — sketch artists, sunlight, and that quiet kind of magic. @josepaolodc and I almost forgot where we were. 🧡
@hermes と過ごした、ゆったりとしたアートな午後。🧡
「Hermès, Drawn to Craft」は、アヤラ・トライアングル・ガーデンズの中庭を舞台に、今週末7:00〜18:00まで開催されるオープンエアのクラフト体験。
会場では、Hermèsが用意したアート素材を使って自由に描いたり色を塗ったりすることができ、完成した作品は郵送してもらうこともできます。
まるでモンマルトルのような空気感 — スケッチする人々、やわらかな光、そして静かな美しさ。@josepaolodc と私は、しばらくここがどこか分からなくなるほどでした。🧡
#Hermes #HermesDrawnToCraft #AyalaTriangleGardens #ManilaEvents #ArtInTheCity @stephtchong@tarrahaustria 🙏
As #WomensMonth comes to a close, sharing a quick-fire exchange from my interview with Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary (@dfaphl ) Ma. Theresa Lazaro for @manilabulletin ’s The Sit Down. 💖
Get to know the country’s top diplomat — and the work behind Philippine foreign policy — in the full video on Manila Bulletin’s YouTube channel (link in my stories). 😘
#diplomacy #foreignpolicy #foreignaffairs #embassy
I was told recently that I look like someone who spends “way too much” on fashion. It was meant to be derisive — you know how some people try to make women feel bad for dressing well.
But… I’ll take it. 😁
Because the truth is, I just know how to build a look for myself. It’s interesting how easily people believe the lies of those who wish to paint me differently — especially by people who have seen firsthand how intentional I actually am. 😅
Here’s the outfit:
💖 Dress on sale from @plst_official (a sister brand of @uniqlophofficial , I picked this up about a year ago in Tokyo)
💖 Vintage @chanelofficial bag I scored for an unbelievable price a few years ago (after intense negotiations, a Fjällräven Kånken ended up being more expensive than this baby 😉) — completely battered at the time, but I trusted my cobbler, Kuya Mel, to bring it back to life. And he did! I’m linking my reel on Kuya Mel so you guys can also support his work!
💖 Shoes from Filipino brand @gibishoes — a brand I’ve known since childhood for their durable school shoes (and clearly still delivering, now with updated designs).
💖 Reversible belt from @gu_global
That’s all. 😌
Happy birthday, @thejojieworld , @joanneraeramirez , and @kpr313 ! 💖 An honor to celebrate the three of you and experience the hospitality and exquisite entertaining prowess of @iamchinacruz , our hostess with the mostest. 🥰
To many more years of being fun, fabulous, and just overall amazing in all that you guys do! 🙏🙏
P.S I think the evening’s greatest feat was we got Francis, AA, and Pepper to dance to Madonna’s Material Girl. 😁
