The year is almost over and some of the creative projects I wanted to get off the ground this year have…not gotten off the ground at all 😀 I’ll get to them, I promise, which is the same thing I said last year, really, but I WILL take them all a step at a time and do something— however small—every day for each of them just so they’re moving forward.
The last quarter of 2025 was when I was supposed to take them seriously, but I got sick for a few weeks and then got sick again for another week, plus I consciously decided to expend most of my energy on my jobs, so here’s where I currently am in terms of those creative projects. But instead of beating myself up over not having completed any of them, I’m being a little kinder to myself and just giggling and saying, “Oops! Silly lil me.”
So yeah, it’s looking like those projects will still be ongoing in 2026. Kind of impressive that I had 365 days to do them and I did none of them. Reminds me of that tweet about a vampire who’s been alive for hundreds of years and still hadn’t gotten around to learning a new language, because that is exactly what I would be like as a vampire.
Every now and then, you see someone posting a graphic or some quote declaring that she’s not a princess, but a queen, suggesting that princesses are sweet and well behaved and need taking care of, but queens are strong and empowered and rule their own lands.
That’s why it’s pretty funnythat Miss Philippines Earth 2025 Joy Barcoma is catching some heat for her answer during the Miss Earth 2025 Q&A. I didn’t even think she said anything controversial when she called for prayers for the people affected by the typhoon in the Visayas and that the government should be creating policies for the good of the people. That all seems pretty commonsense to me. And yet there are people saying she took too much time and that it wasn’t the right time and platform for her to be talking about those things.
What do you mean that’s not the right platform?! She was competing to become Miss Earth, and she was asked a question that she was able to relate to what’s currently happening in the country she is representing. Do people think Miss Earth should be just about tree planting and promoting recycling?
Anyway, it’s great that Barcoma’s not taking all this sitting down; she comments directly to critics and says that she doesn’t regret speaking up about those issues even if it cost her the crown.
“Gusto niyo mag-smile smile ako sa stage kahit alam kong ang daming namamatay, ang daming nawawala, ang daming nawalan ng kabuhayan, ang daming hindi makauwi sa bahay nila . . . Gusto niyo manahimik ako? … If that’s the thing that costed (sic) me the crown, it’s worth it. Aanhin ko ang crown if it’s for the glitz and glam, pero kung kailangan magsalita para sa bayan, hindi ko ginagamit.”
It’s fantastic and refreshing to hear a beauty queen talking like this, because people expect them to make nice and keep peace with the fans and the organization they want to represent because apparently, what actually really matters is securing that crown, forget about having principles, strong opinions, and a brain.
That’s the unfortunate fate of beauty queens here, I think. Not only do they have to squeeze, fill, trim themselves to look the part, but people also want them to have a brain and have something substantial to say about social issues.* Yet when they actually do speak up and take a stand, they get criticized for it.
I’ve always thought it takes a brave woman to get into pageantry here in the Philippines, yet many still do in hopes of a better life, greater influence, and opportunities. To get there, however, it seems like they have to conform, kiss so many asses, and bite their tongues a lot. Speaking up and being frank about issues is the least they could do, and yet some people couldn’t even let them have that.
*Just look at how much people CRUCIFY beauty queens when they can’t formulate a proper response during Q&As or when they don’t have progressive views on issues.
Sometimes, blogging makes one (and by one, I mean me) feel silly and self-conscious, or feel worried that writing about nothing or random things is too indulgent or self-centered, or just generally feel unworthy of having their voice heard because the world’s already loud enough with millions of opinions and do you really need to add to the noise?
And then tweets like these pop up
I've personally enjoyed the renaissance of blogging culture. Please write about your thoughts and your daily routines and your theories! I like to read original writing by all kinds of people, whether I agree or not https://t.co/0MzDw8ZhkI
and remind you that, you know what? Just write what you want, you don’t even have to have an audience for it, and we’re all here for such a brief moment in time*, so make as much noise as you want.
*Somehow, I always circle back around to the topic of mortality. Cannot be helped, what with my age and recent goings-on in people’s lives.
Looking gorgeous at the premiere for Leigh-Anne’s movieBoxing Day.
Sit with me here, I have some good points coming up.
First of all, I just want to say that Little Mix should have been an even bigger deal than they already were. Their vocals were fantastic, and they coming up with banger after banger until the very last minute.
These days, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, and Perrie Edwards are all pursuing solo careers. Blessedly, they’re still friends, going on holidays together, showing up for each other’s live performances every now and then, and interacting on each other’s socials. In true parasocial fashion, I believe that their friendship sisterhood is real and it’s a huge relief for me, as an elder millennial who was traumatized by the Spice Girls’ breakup and the succeeding years when none of them seemed to like each other much.
Jade released her album That’s Showbiz Baby and Perrie released her album Perriejust this month, with Leigh-Anne slated to come out with her album next year. It doesn’t seem to have been an easy path for any of them, though; there’s a lot of expectations for them to put out instant hits that blow up immediately. They each have a loyal following, but none of them have quite achieved solo superstardom yet.
FoIlowing their career post-hiatus over the past couple of years has left me with a few takeaways related to life and work.
Lean into who you are. That’s how you figure out what you’re good at and what best reflects your personality and style, helping you come up with bold, fresh work. Jade seems to have a pretty solid idea what kind of music she wants to make and that’s how she goes all out with every song and performance.
Take all the time you need.You’ll hate yourself if you rush what you’re doing and come up with something half-baked. Some people wanted Perrie to move a little faster with her releases, even speculating that she was happy being a WAG and maybe even tired of making music. Turns out she was just busy redoing her album because she wasn’t happy with how it originally was, and she ended up giving us all a pretty fun, sunny record.
Walk away if something’s not working out for you. Leigh-Anne recently revealed that she was a wreck at the start of 2025 because her record label didn’t seem to have anything planned for her career. So she ditched them and went independent. It’s been great for her creatively; her sound is more confident, production at her performances is way up, and her looks are stunning.
I’m not gonna end up becoming a famous pop star because of these bits of wisdom, but I’m pretty sure they can help me get a better handle on what I want to do.
The camera adds size but it’s crazy to think about how tiny she is in person, lol. Also, she kinda walks like a pageant queen, which makes her appear taller. https://t.co/bACpzHOFOqpic.twitter.com/RyOlzCUkAE
I never would have guessed that Toni Braxton was that short, but it’s no surprise; there are lots of famous female celebrities who are short but seem a lot taller and have incredible ✨presence✨. Sabrina Carpenter is famously tiny (5′), and then there’s Jennifer Lopez (5’4″), Shakira (5’1″), Lady Gaga (5’1″), Cardi B (5’3″)—you get the idea. Just goes to show that you can be an unstoppable force and have the world revolve around you no matter your height.
I used to be tall for my age; I hit my current height when I was 10 and got mistaken for a high schooler a few times and because I hated it, I started wishing I wouldn’t grow tall. I firmly believe to this day that I willed myself into shortness because it seems to have worked; I went from being in the back row during class pictures in sixth grade and then being in the first row come first year high school and never again grew a single inch vertically. I never thought it was an ordeal, despite writing a humorous piece about short people problems on Spot.ph nine years ago. And I always chuckle when I see posts about how short people are so angry because we’re closer to hell and how all the rage is compressed in a smaller package. I have to admit that it gets occasionally intimidating when interacting with tall others, but that’s the social anxiety talking, not my shortness. And it helps to remember that there are so many awesome short people out there (representation matters and all that).
