boring stuff ahead

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Lessons from the movie ‘Hello Love Goodbye’

1. Choosing to love yourself doesn’t make you selfish, it simply means you know your worth, and you know what you deserve. 

2. Sometimes it’s okay to go on separate ways, it allows you to grow and become a better person.

3. Long distance relationship is difficult but that doesn’t mean it won’t work, trust and constant communication are the keys. 

4. Choose someone who will allow you to chase your dreams and bring out the best version of yourself. 

5. Make the most of your time regardless of how long or short it is. 

Alden Richards. Way before the AlDub fever happened, I’ve already heard the name a couple of times but I only know a few things about him.

1. He’s a GMA artist.

2. He acts well. Next John Lloyd Cruz of the industry.

3. He once mentioned that he would like to work with my bebelove, Heart Evangelista.

4. He was my college BFF’s crush. (I never cared though because… I really didn’t care, haha! And for another reason you don’t have to know :D)

I just know he’s an artista and because I’m really not the type to fan girl so much sa mga good looking artists within my age bracket, he never caught my attention. Well, atleast not until AlDub happened.

Siguro mga 5 to a week after AlDub happened when I decided to check them. I was not a fan of Eat Bulaga plus I am not the type to go for trends or mainstream things but there was something that made me want to search for the day na sinasabi nilang kinilig si Yaya kay Alden. I remember it was when I saw a friend’s post about them with caption na kinikilig daw sya sa dalawa. That friend, from what I know, eh hindi din naman masyadong fumafanboy sa mga ganun.

I just gave them a try. Hindi ko na maalala yung eksaktong moment na una kong napanuod sa kanila, but I continued searching on for the first day and when I watched it… BAM!

SADKHSFGFGF. Yung kilig ko, saan ko isisilid? Mygosh. Utang na loob. So legit yung kilig ni Yaya! At amputek! ANG POGIIII NI ALDEEEEN!!!! Paano!?!?! 

*Sorry, I had to insert these GIFs.*

That certain moment/episode made me a fan of the loveteam right away.The reactions were too real. Too genuine. Too raw. Up to now, kapag pinapanuod ko yun. Hindi ko pa rin alam kung saan ilalagay ang kilig ko. HAHAHA.

You see why?

My personal thoughts? All of their Kalyeserye episodes will make you fall but none will make you fall as hard as the first split screen.

But I’ll stop sharing my kilig for the “onscreen team-up” at that as I wrote this to release my appreciation for Alden as person.

Alden Richards. OhMiGad, ang pogi mo.

Alden Richards. OhMiGad, ang pogi mo.

Alden Richards. OhMiGad, ang pogi mo talaga!!!

Sorry, I had to fan girl about his looks. Hahaha.

Alden Richards. Oh, yes. A guy with more than just looks to admire. If there’s another thing I am thankful of aside from the kilig and happiness upon being a fan of AlDub, it’s getting to know more things about Alden… It’s knowing him beyond the fact that he’s a GMA artist and my BFF’s crush.

It’s knowing him a little, kahit papaano, as a person through his tweets, acts, and what the other people(who had the chance to be with him everyday) has to say about him.

So, here is a list of traits I admire about Alden.

1. He’s good looking. Okay? Okay.

2. His smile. The dimple? Deym. But I actually see more than that. Yung smile ni Alden, okay wait, kinikilig ako habang naiisip ko. Haha…. Orayt. Okay na. So yung smile nya nga. Hindi ko maexplain. Ang alam ko lang, nakakawala ng ulirat pag ngumingiti na sya. It’s the genuineness siguro? Yung praktisado man yung smile nyang yun because he knows it’s his asset, alam mo pa ring totoo yung ngiti. With sparks in his eyes. *dies*

3. He’s a Gentleman Who says chivalry is dead? It’s all living and breathing happily in the soul of Richard R. Faulkerson Jr. 

Direk Mike Tuviera once tweeted na during Carmela days, Alden will always run to Marian whenever she’s walking through a door or a car. He does the same to female staffers. A floor director of EB also confirmed this trait.

I can imagine him offering his seat to an old man/lady or a pregnant woman on a bus full of people.

4. He’s polite. He makes sure to use PO and OPO when talking to elders. Just now, as am I writing this blog, nakabasa ko ng tweet na hinabol ni Alden yung word na “PO” sa placard nya when he realized na si Lola Nidora ang kausap nya. I have watched quite a few of his interviews and yes, he does use them when answering questions.

I find this trait so endearing, especially to a man. Ewan ko. Natutuwa lang talaga ako pag nakakarinig ako ng artista lalo na ng teen stars na nagpo-PO at OPO sa interviews nila. At nababother ako ng todo kapag hindi.

5. He admits his mistakes and apologizes for it. Another info I read somewhere. Nagalit na daw si Alden once then afterwards, he said sorry kasi feeling nya daw mali yung actions nya na yun. Imagine? Who acts mad at some point and then apologizes for it after realizing it’s wrong? Minsan nauunahan na tayo ng pride or hiya eh.

Whatever it is or it’s for, there’s something in me na napa-awwww talaga dito. I mean, what an attitude!

6. He says THANK YOU with SINCERITY. Remember when Direk Joey R. wrote a blog about AlDub with only good words for Alden? A few days after, Direk J tweeted how Alden proved that he is a CUT above the rest.

This what was Direk Joey had to say:

“Alden R went out of his way to send me a thank you text for the blog. How many young actors will do that considering we’ve only met once?”

So where’s the sincerity? It’s in the “went out of way”. I had a feeling na walang number si Alden ni Direk J dahil once pa nga lang sila nagmeet. And yessss, may social media, bat hindi na lang dun? Because a text message is more personal. More sincere. More intimate. And whether sya ang naghanap ng number ni Direk J or may inutusan sya, the thing is… he had the intention.

7. He gives credit where credit is due. That “wala ang ALDUB kung wala KAYO” line on an IG post dedicated to fans as he said his thanks and appreciation. I find that so sweet, sincere and from the heart. Nagsisimula pa lang sila at maraming-marami pang darating na blessings sa kanila ni Maine and I hope he never change.

8. His love for kids. Jusko ito talaga. Ito talagaaaaaa. Once may nakita kong video post nya sa IG. Nilalaro ata nila ni Nate or Nathan (basta yung anak nila Regine and Ogie) yung gift nya dun sa bata. It was just adorable to watch. And yeeeessss, yung closeness nila ni Ryzza. He calls her Pachoochie pala. Have you watched that moment na nagpapalitan sila ng fansign ni Maine tapos natutulog pala si Ryzza sa lap nya? I died there. Really.

9. A down to earth man. You can see it in the way he acts, the way he talks and in the food he eats. Haha! He eats balut, and I do too, but seriously… on a broad daylight? While on air? And then Hany, Kwek-kwek, Isaw and that one thing that really striked me: Palamig. I love street foods but I rarely drink Palamig so when I saw that picture of buying that drink, it’s another point for me.

And it’s not just with the food, okay? Not just that.

I have to give credit to Daddy Richard Faulkerson Sr. This is his time-to-time reminder to his son: 

“Check mo paa mo kung nasa lupa pa ha. Kung wala na, baba ka.”

He was indeed raised well.

10. His Faith to the Almighty One. The list could go on and on and on but it’s less meaningful without this one. This is the deal sealer. His personal and intimate relationship with God. He never fails and isn’t shy to show how thankful he is to our dear Creator. Every morning, he tweets about how great our God is, and says he’ll never get tired of worship and praising his name. And do you know? He reads the Bible everyday.

My heart melts.

Back in college, Sanket and I would hang out in bars and try to talk to women but I was horrible at it.

Nobody would talk to me for more than thirty seconds and every woman would laugh at all his jokes for what seemed like hours.

Even decades later I think they are still laughing at his jokes. One time he turned to me, 

“the girls are getting bored when you talk. Your stories go on too long. From now on, you need to leave out every other sentence when you tell a story.”

We were both undergrads in Computer Science. I haven’t seen him since but that’s the most important writing (and communicating) advice I ever got.

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