Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist During the pandemic, something as simple as buying vegetables suddenly became difficult. Lockdowns disrupted supply chains, grocery trips became less frequent, and fresh produce was sometimes hard to find. Looking for alternatives, I asked a friend about urban gardeningโspecifically something that could work in a condo. She immediately suggested hydroponics.… Continue reading Back to Hydroponics: Growing Vegetables Indoors (But Smarter This Time)
Category: Life
Sun, Steps, and Serendipity: Why We Love Walking at UP Diliman Campus
Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist If you told me more than a year ago that my favorite weekend ritual would involve sensible shoes and early morning sunlight, I would have laughed politely and gone back to my coffee and book. And yet here we are. Since last year, Iโve been regularly walking around University of… Continue reading Sun, Steps, and Serendipity: Why We Love Walking at UP Diliman Campus
Discover the Hongdian M2: A Pocket Pen Review
Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist Pocket fountain pens are a dangerous rabbit hole. You start with โI just want something small for my pocket,โ and suddenly youโre comparing faceted caps and arguing with strangers on the internet about converters. You also end up collecting so many in different colors like I did with Wancai… Continue reading Discover the Hongdian M2: A Pocket Pen Review
Why I Stopped Typing My Notes
Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist In the lab, we obsess over our equipment. We calibrate our equipments, we make sure the connection between computer and equipment is uninterrupted, and we panic if one part acts up. Yet, when it comes to the tool we use to actually process the information inside our heads, most… Continue reading Why I Stopped Typing My Notes
Teeth-Crushing Donuts and the Art of Running Away
Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist Note: I wrote this story years ago on my old Blogger. My siblings talked about my mom's infamous donuts earlier today and decided to repost my old blog post about her donuts here. When I was a kid, my mom and dad constantly bickered over burnt dishes, undercooked rice,… Continue reading Teeth-Crushing Donuts and the Art of Running Away
Iโm Destashing My Fountain Pens – Please Send Help (or Ink)!
Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist Just over two weeks ago, I proudly declared that I was decluttering our home, starting with the obvious space invadersโfurniture, storage boxes, unused art materials and other large items that had quietly claimed permanent residency in our living space. Friends generously adopted many of them, and I felt victorious.… Continue reading Iโm Destashing My Fountain Pens – Please Send Help (or Ink)!
Thoughtful, Not Temporary: Sustainable Valentineโs Day Gift Ideas
Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist Valentineโs Day often comes wrapped in urgencyโflowers that wilt in days, chocolates bought last minute, objects chosen more for the occasion than for the person. Thereโs nothing inherently wrong with these gestures. They come from affection, after all. But after observing the clutter that I have at home, Iโve… Continue reading Thoughtful, Not Temporary: Sustainable Valentineโs Day Gift Ideas
How Decluttering Set the Tone for My Year – A Glacial Pace Attempt at Minimalistic Living
Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist I started this year by doing something I had been postponing for a long time: de-stashing and decluttering our home. Not in a dramatic, overnight transformation kind of wayโbut slowly, intentionally, and with a lot of honesty and patience. A glacial pace, if I'm being geologic about. ๐ For… Continue reading How Decluttering Set the Tone for My Year – A Glacial Pace Attempt at Minimalistic Living
2025: The Year of Beginnings, Professional Growth, and Financial and Physical Wellness
Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist As 2025 comes to a close, I find myself looking back not only at the big milestones, but at the small, intentional choices that quietly shaped the year. In many ways, this was a transformational season for meโthe year I earned my Masterโs degree, stepped into a new job… Continue reading 2025: The Year of Beginnings, Professional Growth, and Financial and Physical Wellness
Leaves: A Reflection on Family, Forgiveness, and Growing Together
I'm learning to play the ukulele at my son's music school. I can now play 4 songs thanks to my patient teacher. Two weeks ago, I asked my teacher to teach me "Leaves" by Ben&Ben, a popular local band from the Philippines. They've been my favorite for 2 years, especially their songs "Leaves" and "Bibingka."… Continue reading Leaves: A Reflection on Family, Forgiveness, and Growing Together