chiaracokieng.com

Topic

Personal Life

A collection of 8 issues

YouTube Comedian?

Motivated by how unhappy I was with my video skills, I asked my friend if she'd consider starting a YouTube channel with me. But on what? I want to get better at video. It's a key skill in 2021. But I'm not interested in self help or 'influencing'. While browsing

Why I moved to Germany

It was easier to move from the Philippines to Germany than it was to move from Caloocan to BGC. I think it’s the Filipino-Chinese. Perhaps, it’s just my family. Either way, it was frowned-upon and kind of unacceptable to live on my own. When you already

Decade in Review: 2010-2019

2010 I am a junior in the University of the Philippines. I am fighting to maintain my magna cum laude standing. Someone tags me in this photo. I realize that, holy shit, I am fat. Holy shit. I am fat. 2011 My uncle treats me and my sister to a

Reminiscing a four-year friendship with Sebastian Marshall

I’m rereading Ikigai which I bought four years ago, in 2013. At that time, it was a major decision to spend $9.77 to buy an ebook on Amazon. I remember buying a Kindle so I could illegally download and read ebooks for free. I don’t do that

Be a woman who wrestles

Me (in green) at the Buno at Dumog Takedown Challenge, May 2016, Manila, Philippines I was on a 2-month North America speaking tour, we were in Boulder, Colorado, and I was the only female speaker. During Q&A, a young woman asked me, How do you overcome biases against

Break the opponent's balance before you attack

WRESTLING – I will be competing in my first takedown challenge in April 30. I have been thinking a lot about tactics. Which takedowns should I own and practice? Should I focus on offense or defense? (Offense) Should I train to be powerful, flexible, or nimble? These seemed to be

The day I got it in my head to join the Olympics

Jimmy Angana – the #1 freestyle wrestler in the Philippines today – was laughing at me, pulling me up, and cajoling me to stand up and fight. Albert Balde – then-president of the Wrestling Association of the Philippines – was at the edges of the mat, looking at his stopwatch,

My life from birth to 23

It’s been my goal to publish something everyday. I like the idea of using a blog as a self-invention tool. But I’m so stuck on the mindset that it’s a self-promotion tool… That I never publish anything I don’t think be