Jill and the Books Talk

Won't last a day without experiencing the warm, aromatic, delicate and soothing (feeling mayaman) effect of tea? Then you must be a TEA-ta! Here are the telltale signs of being a TEA-ta: 1. Tea is your elixir for life You begin and end your day with tea. You take tea like your square meals (see tea time chart). Tea is medicine! A TEA-ta has a specific tea to prescribe for every symptom on earth. Sleepy? Perk up your senses with black tea. Indigestion? Have a cup of fresh peppermint tea. Sleepless? Chamomile will take you to snooze heaven. Early signs of aging? White tea is health-TEA for your skin. Cholesterol problems? Green tea is scientifically proven to unclog your arteries. As you get older, Pu-erh now becomes a staple in your tea box. Kinakabag ka ba TEA-ta? Hetong tsaa! 2. You are maTEApid The stash of tea you keep in your handbag is as valuable as your wallet containing your membership cards (Me rcury Drug, S&R, SM, Rustan's, Healthy Options, Landers , etc.), credit

Early in 2019, I prayed to God to take me to to see the Canadian Rockies. I told myself, I will save up for this trip and in a few years time, I will be able to visit.  In April 2019, I got a call from my Uncle Albert in the US. He mentioned that since my parents and I are going to visit them in October, he plans to take us to Canada as a side trip. "I want to show you the Canadian Rockies!" Those words were like music to my ears. Since my parents already had their tickets booked, I immediately booked mine online. I am bound for Banff sooner than I expected. I was giddy with delight as I walked through the snowy pathway leading to the lake. I could see snow capped mountain peaks which grew bigger and taller as I got closer. I made a turn.  And there I was. Frozen.  Awestruck. Speechless. None prepared me for the majestic scenery of Lake Louise. Calm crystal clear, turquoise water. Perfectly reflecting the Canadian Rockies behind it.  Tears began to well up in my eyes blurring

From an outsider's perspective, my professional life revolves around the highly coveted (by quack nutritionists and dietitian wannabes) practice of being a nutrition, health and wellness expert.  Made even more exciting by the myriad of interesting people I get to meet in my office, my client's corporate offices, as well as, the lectures and media launches and appearances I engage in. A career that is not only financially rewarding but delicate and dynamically impacting the lives of people in many ways.  Little do people know about my life as an online English teacher which commenced in 2013 and concluded in 2018. A humbling experience that has taught me so much about the Japanese culture and how it is to truly work for something that does not entail much monetary compensation. Half an hour or two, sometimes more hours, several days in a month was all it took to give me that sense of pride in witnessing my students, who could barely speak a word of English during our first less