Konnichiwa minna-san! I'm ridgette—gette for short—and I'm from the Sinulog capital of the Philippines, Cebu! I'm currently studying in college, but during my free time, I help my mother with her work and housework, and after that, I mostly do my hobbies and interests.
Honestly, I'm interested in a lot of things, and one of the things that I'm really into is reading. I read an extensive selection of literary pieces, may it be novels, stories, short stories, poems, or even sometimes documentary narratives. Further, I also read ebooks and other stories or novels on online writing platforms, manga, manhwa, manhua, and even online comics.
I've been an avid reader since I learned to read. I've received awards and certificates that have exemplified how passionate I am when it comes to reading. I'm a proud bookworm, and I'm grateful that I love reading because it helps me learn a lot of new things. Reading taught me a lot of things, and it somehow became my escape from reality. I'm an introvert, so naturally, I don't have a lot of friends or even someone to talk to. I'm a loner, but thankfully I didn't feel lonely because I'm preoccupied with reading. It became my companion, and even though I'm gradually improving my social skills now, I still find time to immerse myself in reading. Reading also led me to become a constant honor student, from daycare up to the latest recognition ceremony that I attended because of the vast knowledge and information that I have gained while reading. Certainly, reading is more than a hobby for me, for it has become my escape from those lonely times.
Also, I like drawing, doodling, sketching, and making artsy stuff. Aside from reading, I also draw during my free time. I have liked to draw ever since my elementary school years; I even entered a couple of poster-making contests, but unfortunately I didn't win. That somehow affected my confidence in my drawing skills, but luckily, in my first year of high school, I met an impressive artist. She was really good at drawing, especially from different body perspectives and angles. She was my seatmate back then, and I often watched her while she was drawing during our classes. Her drawings were really nice, and I even heard that she also does digital arts. I was inspired by her talent and her dedication to drawing, and because of that, I really admire her. That's why I started to draw again.
I joined an arts group, and from there, I gained new friends who shared the same interest in drawing and the arts. Although we're separated now because we're studying at different schools, I still get in touch with some of them. It was really nice to recall the times we had shared our interests, and I'm thankful that I didn't give up my interest in drawing and arts because it really helped me gain friends who shared the same interests as mine.
Moreover, I also like watching anime and movies. It became my hobby, especially during my high school years. I usually like to watch action movies and shonen anime because those usually involve cool fight scenes and stunts, and from that fascination with action scenes, my recent interest sprouted. I just joined the arnis team at our school last year, and honestly, at first I thought it was easy. However, upon joining the first few training days, I realized that it was not that easy. It really required a great deal of perseverance and discipline, and up until now, I'm still learning new things during our training. While training, it was exciting and fun at first because I have acquaintances and even friends who joined arnis, but unfortunately all of them quit along the way, and it was quite disheartening. I was the only beginner on our team, so naturally, I feel like I'm an outcast because I'm still learning the basics. However, I'm really fascinated by learning it. I know that learning arnis wouldn't be easy, but I'm looking forward to not only learning new forms and stunts but also honing my discipline and perseverance.
Since I like reading, it became an inspiration for me to create literary pieces as well. I mostly create short stories, poems, and even novels. I'm currently working on a certain novel, but I still have a long way to go since I'm really preoccupied with a lot of things. This interest became one of the reasons why I joined Hive. Writing became one of the ways for me to express myself and the feelings that I couldn't draw. I'm not a talkative person; that's why most of the time I tend to write my feelings in a journal, and upon discovering Hive, I was eager to join not only because I wanted to express myself but also because I wanted to improve my skills through interacting with different kinds of people. I believe that through interacting on this platform, I will not only be able to express my thoughts and improve my skills, but I will also be able to transform myself into a better version of who I am.
As a new user of Hive, I'm really looking forward to interacting with various people. I'm really excited to share my experiences, especially those that I really find unforgettable and inspiring. Within my nineteen years of existence, I've experienced a lot, may it be sad, happy, or even life-threatening. Overcoming those became one of my greatest reasons to move forward. I want to inspire other people by sharing those experiences that I think will positively affect them. I want them to feel what I felt at that moment. Also, I want them to see the beauty of living and how precious life is.
To wrap this up, I want to express my utmost gratitude to 
This is ridgette, signing in!
I'm looking forward to interact with you all, arigatou!
