findingfriends | hi, hi.

Took a while to put this together and since it's a bit long-ish, will introduce a cut a little bit towards the middle.

Is there an interesting story behind your username?

The serious answer is that it's a subtle reference to the line “Though she be but little, she is fierce” from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. My elementary school had a tradition of letting the 6th graders stage the play annually, so it holds a very special place in my heart.

The not-so-serious answer is because I am actually quite short. 4 feet and 10 3/4 inches is not totally unusual when you're Filipino, but my overseas friends are always surprised when they meet me in person because they did expect me to be taller somehow. 😅

Location and language(s):

Metro Manila, Philippines. I speak 3 languages: English, Tagalog and Ilonggo (both of which are Filipino languages). I am most comfortable writing in English, but when I'm speaking I tend to codeswitch quite a bit. Sometimes, if I cannot find a way to translate a word or a phrase, I'll use the word in it's original form and then try to explain it in parenthesis.

Age range (e.g 20s, 30s, etc.):

Late 30s bordering on 40s, not that anyone believes me when they see me. I still get mistaken for a college/post-grad student.

Hot button/deal breaker issues that will likely lead to unfriending:

It’s less hot button/deal breaker issues and more hot button/deal breaker behavior. Drama-baiting, rudeness to folks in the comment sections when you can just not engage, extremes from either end.

I am a believer in that respect is given, disrespect is earned. If you treat me with respect, openness and honesty, then we’re probably going to get on well because that’s how I operate. Also, I'm just at the age where I'm tired and I have few ducks left to give.

Do you have an "About Me" post new friends can read to get a sense of who you are, the people you talk about regularly, etc.?

I have a brief introductory post over here. It’s brief, but it covers the most important parts.

Is your profile up-to-date or at all useful?

I tend to keep my profile page simple and use it to direct folks to the intro post. But yes, it’s up-to-date.

List a few things you think it's important new friends know about you right away:

I'm bi/queer in a straight-presenting relationship. I’ve encountered folks who've taken issue with that, from either end of the spectrum, even if I’m not sure why it should be an issue.

I write reflections (or reference) my mental health journey and mental health in general quite a bit. I was diagnosed with C-PTSD a little over 5 years ago and while I've made loads of progress, the journey is an ongoing thing. Rest assured that I utilize cuts on my posts and include content warnings to those who want to skip over that.

I observe Friending/Unfriending Amnesty i.e. if you add me and decide that I'm not your cup of tea, all good, thank you for stopping by and giving connecting a shot. I’ve made longtime friends both here and previously on LiveJournal, but I also understand that some friendships have seasons or reasons before they naturally fade away.

You mostly write about:

Slice-of-life shenanigans, (amateur) photography, checklists of things I need to remember, and life in general. Dreamwidth has always been a memory keeping tool and a safe space for processing.

I also tend to share original writing and projects, or link music or media I’ve discovered that maybe other folks might enjoy.

I talk a fair bit about my cat, just as a warning. He turns 2 this coming July and he brings a lot of joy to my life, so expect that he plays a central role in some posts.

Occasionally (possibly very rarely), I will make reference to my day job and the team placed in my safekeeping. I’m leading up a growing team of writers in my corner of the creative industry, and every day they teach me so many things about improving myself as a leader, as a mentor, and as a writer. So yes, memory keeping, as I said.

You never or very rarely write about:

Hm. I try to keep any polarizing opinions or remarks about current world events off of my journal. It’s less that I don’t keep up with them – I do. I have no choice BUT TO, as someone living in a developing country that is often affected by decisions made in the “first world”.

But barring special circumstances (where I feel like I can have productive exchanges and actual conversations with folks online about current events), I choose to cover those topics with a trusted circle of close friends – mostly offline or at the very least in voice/video chat on Discord.

That said, if my opinion or thoughts on matters are asked, I do share them. Comments are open, and private messages via Dreamwidth’s inbox function are also ok.

Is your journal mostly public, locked, or a mix of public and locked?

It’s a mix, roughly about 75% public and 25% private. I’m still doing digital housekeeping and backtracking old posts that i’d prefer to keep private or under special filters, but what you see/read is pretty much what you get. Typically posts that reference my day job will likely be friends-locked, just because I’m trying to be a responsible internet citizen and I love where I work.

Do you use filters for certain types of posts (e.g. fandom-related posts, or posts about sex, or mental health issues, etc.)?

Just the cuts. I joined Livejournal in 2003 and migrated to Dreamwidth in 2009, so I’ve had enough time to determine that what I post online I’m comfortable sharing.

Your posting frequency (e.g. daily, every few days, weekly, etc.):

It’s starting to look like weekly is the sweet spot, but I will occasionally update mid-week if life isn’t pulling me in 12 different directions.

Does your journal frequently include any of the following: memes, linkspams, gifs, photos, videos, etc?

I think just the right amount? I use photos/gifs and other media to break up text blocks and I link to things to provide additional context in case folks want to check them out. Memes? Maybe if I find good ones.

What do you enjoy most about journaling?

It’s primarily a memory keeping activity to document my life, and honestly it helps make room in my “memory warehouse”. I have a lot of words, I need somewhere to put them.

How often do you read your friends list (e.g. daily, every other day, once a week, etc.)?

I sneak in peeks daily, but I typically spend Saturday or Sunday night going through people’s entries. This platform has no algorithm, a chronological feed and zero ads. It’s an infinitely more enjoyable experience because my reading page collates thoughts from people.

You really enjoy reading about:

Anything, really. There’s so much to learn from other people. Tell me about what your life is like, show me what you had for dinner that made you really happy. Babble about your cats (and tax in pics please). I’m genuinely interested in just getting to know folks.

You have very little interest in reading about:

This is a tough one to answer, precisely because of my answer to the previous question. Also I tend to subscribe to the thought of “if it’s not interesting now, maybe I wasn’t ready or just not in the right brainspace to absorb it”.

Your thoughts on journals that regularly include any of the following: memes, linkspams, gifs, photos, videos, etc?

Depends on the journal. I follow icon-makers and artists, I’ve followed folks who do news rundowns. I probably won’t comment as much and I may unfriend, but I take things on a case-to-case basis.

When it comes to comments on your posts, what matters more -- quality or quantity?

Quality, BUT I will say I’m from an era where chat apps were not as common and the comment section blowing up was commonplace. I treat comments like conversations; some can go on awhile, some wrap up fairly quickly and that's OK too.

Do you unfriend people who don't comment much, even if you know they are reading you regularly?

Not really. I may do a check at the end of the year if the journal looks abandoned, but otherwise it’s all good.

What is your approach when it comes to commenting on other journals?

I try to be thoughtful, warm and open. Another person’s journal is “your entries come across my feed as if I saw you at a coffee shop or space we both happen to frequent and I can probably say hi” but also: “your journal is an extension of your home and I am a guest”.

When you friend someone, but things don't really click, do you unfriend them without warning, or do you send them a note first? How do you prefer to be unfriended in similar circumstances?

It depends on how much we’ve exchanged comments. Again, I observe Friending/Unfriending Amnesty. Notes are nice, but not required.

AND LASTLY: Friending memes often ask people to list their favourite TV shows, movies, books, etc., but more often than not, those aren't things people actually write about in their journal. Do you have any favourite TV shows, movies, books, etc., that you DO often write about – not necessarily in a fandom sort of way, just in general?

Man, I have so many fandoms on and off. I will occasionally write about them, but I’m still debating on whether I need to babble about them in long-form. Most of my fandom ramblings tend to happen on the microblogging platforms I’m on.

I will probably post fic? Or thoughts around fic? I yap about the things I love and I’m a fan of many things so yes, maybe, sometimes. I hope that's ok by you. Again, I utilize cuts liberally, so they aren't likely to clutter your reading page.

Current Shows/Movies: Arcane (I have so many thoughts about this show, to be honest), Doctor Who (I’m catching up), Durarara!! (I’m rewatching). Marvel (on and off). Kaiju No. 8. Pacific Rim (we don’t talk about the sequel, there was no sequel). Monarch (I hope we get another season). And whatever my better half decides to introduce me to because we have a long bucket list for our Discord catch-ups.

Current Books/Book-related Things: Urban Fantasy fiction in general (more detective type than the romantasy though I have a few favorites), Seanan McGuire’s Ghost Roads/InCryptid novels, Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series, I’m a Fourth Wing girly but mostly because dragons. I’ve recently picked up T. Kingfisher’s books, but have not actually finished any of them (wild, really, I used to follow their art on deviantART a whole lifetime ago).

Current Video Games: I am a hardcore Animal Crossing build island themes type girl, though I’m not done with my current one because the roads don’t make sense. I am also so so so hyped about the current Fortnite season because Godzilla, also it’s my de-stress game. Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom (not finished, I need to get back to this eventually), and of course, Hollow Knight.

Any final thoughts you'd like to share with potential new friends?

Just hello! I’d love to meet you.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

cdayzee

Hello!

A little about me: early 50s, quiet when interacting with people but frequently end up having a lot to say in my own entries, which consist mainly of daily life. I enjoy reading & I like getting to know people through entries & comments.

Would you like to give it a go?