305 – On A 2021 Fourth Quarter Update (Part 1)

The COVID-19 pandemic’s first full year had officially passed following the fourth quarter of 2021 closing the year off. I saw more action during this time as it corresponded with my birthday and the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Let’s start with the quarterly update.

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I received my second dose of the AstraZeneca (AZ) COVID-19 vaccine in late October 2021. I was effectively fully vaccinated after this dose, but I waited two weeks before going around to ensure utmost immunity. Being fully vaccinated also allowed me to dine in – as most restaurants in Manila only accepted inoculated patrons for indoor dining.

I’m also thankful that I received my second dose before the B11529 omicron variant hit the Philippines. I experienced a fever for one night, but managed to get back up on my feet the next day. I plan on getting the AZ booster after some time. Thing is, I’ve noticed that the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are drawing the most flak. The AZ vaccine utilizes an adenovirus vector, which is more in line with traditional vaccines given to infants.

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I finally purchased a new laptop for personal use eight months after writing about my old unit. I looked for a laptop with the same specifications as my work unit – specifically one with an AMD Ryzen 5 processor. The Acer Swift 3 fit the bill with its fast-charging capability, long battery life and optimal performance. It also came with a wireless mouse which was free with my purchase of the laptop.

I also bought several accessories:           

• A USB hub for plugging in multiple devices
• A new 1.5-meter charging cord with a woven nylon coating
• A USB to USB-C adaptor
• A mobile phone holder that looks like a PlayStation controller

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Home-related items also formed part of my November birthday purchases. These opaque green curtains became a necessity as light from an outside source prevented me from sleeping properly. My bed is positioned against a rather bright outdoor light, making a sleep mask a necessity. I no longer use a sleep mask after I installed the new curtains.

I also bought a room fragrance for a humidifier to make my room smell better. The Shangri-La scent is the fragrance used at the eponymous hotel’s lobby – which I had visited many times now. I simply put a few drops of the fragrance in half of the humidifier’s water content and turn on the device.

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Since the first days of November are dedicated to commemorating the deceased in Philippine culture, we decided to visit other relatives who went ahead of us. Dad, my younger brother, and I took one Sunday off to pay our respects to four loved ones who died years prior. The trip took us to two cemeteries that were literally miles apart, but we managed to accomplish our itineraries.

I only visited two establishments in October and November 2021 – namely, Modern Shanghai at Trinoma and Manam Comfort Filipino at SM Fairview. I also churned out a This or That post involving cereal bars and a blog entry on how to cook pompano fish.

Outside of food, I shared three rather unorthodox blogging tips. Seeing the prevalence of bull crap around this joint prompted me to write this entry, which even included calling out a rather annoying blogger. Thankfully, the offender has walked back – but the warning stays.

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I’ll be ending the first part of my four-entry series about the last quarter of 2021. Until the next post, keep on tuning here at The Monching’s Guide!

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