It was such a sweet surprise that my special guest-blogger-feature has finally said yes to my request. I am so fond of reading this blog that I immediately requested her in this series of mine, which I kinda neglected for months now (bad me!). Well it’s the perfect comeback, to say the least, The Diplomatic Wife is a good way to jump start She~Blog again. Both blog and blogger are interesting. It features a lot of travel and lifestyle tips everyone can relate too. It’s been in my roster of reads ever since and the best part is we became blog-friends— cool, right? I won’t babble much and get right to it — without farther adieu here she is—

a.M.o.T : What is your name? TDW: The Diplomatic Wife

a.M.o.T : What inspired you to blog? TDW: The first person to suggest a blog to me was my shrink, the super fab Dr. Antonio Sison. He asked me if I’ve seen Julie and Julia and he told me to think about blogging, while we were in a session discussing the big life changes I was about to make…. quitting my job (I’ve always been a career woman), losing my identity as a marketing professional and adjusting to living in a new place. A year after moving to Jakarta I was finally ready to blog and Dr. Sison was right. It has helped put some structure to my days and appreciate the different experiences I’ve had as a diplomat’s wife abroad.

a.M.o.T : What do you blog about? TDW : I blog about our discoveries at post (Jakarta for now) like restos, helpful finds, etc. with the hopes of sharing recommendations and information to fellow expats in the same city. I write about life at home (DIY projects, baking, cooking, DiploDog, etc.) and our travel adventures.

a.M.o.T : Share with me your personal life TDW : It’s just me, my husband, who I call TD (or The Diplomat) on my blog, and DiploDog. We’ve been in Jakarta for three years for our first posting. Filipino Diplomats usually stay 6 years abroad and 2 years back home, then the cycle begins again. It can be lonely staying home all the time and being away from lifelong friends but DiploDog is great company at home. We hope to have a baby when we move to a different post.

a.M.o.T : What is your typical day like? any routines you want to share TDW : I usually start my day with breakfast with TD then I boot up my computer to check on my blog and emails. But aside from that my day is free for all, from accessory making, baking and photography to ladies lunches and household related errands. (I really should be be more organized with my schedule!) Come evening I prepare dinner and we usually enjoy it with our favorite TV shows. I like to end the day talking to TD, catching up on our days and preparing for the next one.

a.M.o.T : What is your day job ( if you have one? ) TDW : I’m not sure if I can call it my day job but I’ve found ways to make money off what I love to do (shopping, baking and accessories) which is how DiploDesserts and my Diploshop.net came to being. My friends order banana bread and Tiramisu cupcakes from me, which are my 2 specialties. My Diploshop has lovely items that I find in my travels and shopping expeditions. I also sell items that I’ve made myself. I love accessories and when I cannot buy something, I try to make it myself.

a.M.o.T : What is the ONE THING you want people to know about you and why? TDW : I would like them to know that I am a smart, driven woman who was climbing the corporate ladder, but chose to be a fulfilled housewife instead. For now I am happy where I am.

a.M.o.T : What is your weakness , and what is your strength? TDW : I’ve got many, but what I am grappling with right is my being obsessive. It’s both a weakness and a strength. It’s led to me doing some great work, like my blog, projects and my highly customized modular teak furniture pieces, but it’s also led me to injuries (I got tendonitis from too much blogging and baking haha!) and insomnia (I worry too much!). I need to be reminded, quite often, to do things in moderation.

a.M.o.T : What is the best part of your home? TDW : Right now it’s my living room. It’s where I cuddle up with coffee, a book and DiploDog. It’s where TD and I relax after dinner and a long day.

a.M.o.T : What is your most favorite post and why? TDW : Gosh, this is a tough one! Off the top of my head, one of my favorites is my post on our once in a lifetime experience of watching the Suzuki Cup Semi-finals in an auditorium so big it was packed with 90,000 people. It was precisely at this time that they also started getting attention from the Filipino majority who, before then, only had their eyes for basketball. I documented it here and here. It’s not a perfect post (so many typos in fact) and we may have lost, but I feel like it captured the excitement of the moment and our Filipino pride.

a.M.o.T : What are you lusting for now? (material thing, a trip, a spa, etc.) TDW : What I would give for a beach trip where I can spend an entire week just reading a book and getting massages by the beach. Mango shakes or mojitos at sunset please!

a.M.o.T : How do you spend your ME TIME? TDW : Me time is usually spent with hot drink and a book or getting a massage/cream bath.

Thank you so much DiploWife for your very game replies! I have learned , and still keep on learning, so much from your wonderful tips. I am also amazed on how talented you are. Keep on inspiring… keep on blogging:-)

(images via The Diplomatic Wife)