In the past years, we’ve enjoyed the boom of local and international tourism—spending mid-year bonuses on plane tickets and seat sales and blocking off long weekends for beach getaways with friends. But then, COVID-19 happened. Almost instantly, we’ve bid goodbye to travel plans for the rest of the year as we quarantine ourselves indoors.
This resulting worldwide travel ban has affected the livelihoods of pilots and flight attendants who now had to find ways to cope with the uncertainty of their situation.
Twinkle Chiu, in particular, sought comfort in pursuing different passion projects to stay positive and productive amid the complete change in her daily routine after working almost seven years in her dream job as a cabin crew of Philippine Airlines.
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“It saddens me that the world of aviation is one of the most hit industries in the world since,” she tells When In Manila in an exclusive interview. “Like many other people who are affected by this crisis, it challenges our very core to adapt and cope with what’s happening right now. In my case I make sure I always spend every moment productively, whether actively doing my hobbies or learning new things online, to make sure I keep myself preoccupied.”
She shares what she’s done in the meantime: cooking amazing dishes for her friends and family through her new online business Twinkle’s Kitchen.
“Since the pandemic, I have been passionately been focus on one of my hobbies and that is cooking,” she adds. “I took this chance to turn my idle days to a more productive one by making my cooking into an online business to earn and provide for my daily needs and expenses.”
So far, she has created her own version of the trending sushi bake in varying flavors: Kami Mango Aburi, Spam Musubi, and her best-selling Kani Mango Sriracha.
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And although she may be living independently right now, she makes sure to send her family her love through the food she makes.
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When asked how her new online business has given her solace from the difficult circumstances at the moment, she shared that it proved to her that she was brave and capable enough of weathering any storm.
“Just like everyone else, it’s a struggle to provide for your needs especially at this time where our job is at stake, but one thing I believe in is that there is always hope, there’s always a way to survive, especially for us Filipinos, it’s innate for us to always find a way to live on and move forward. Find that one thing you love to do, earn from it, be productive with it, and make it a livelihood,” she says.
“I’ll take this opportunity to share with everyone my prayers for everyone’s safety all over the world. God is listening, God is watching us. Keep praying, don’t lose faith. He hears our call.”
(ALSO READ: LOOK: Filipina Pilot Creates Successful Plant-Parenting Vlog Amid Quarantine)
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