About
I'm happy to have you here on my simple blog and thank you for your visit!
When I first launched this blog in July 2016, it was meant to be a place for sharing thoughts I'd written in college about things like happiness, relationships, the environment, politics, family, and leadership. My hope was to connect with others who thought about these topics too.
Unfortunately, a bit of a disaster struck: my external hard drive crashed, and all those original reflections were lost. It was a real bummer! But I decided to keep blogging anyway, sharing other interesting stuff with anyone who wanted to read.
It seems like it's been worth it! Here's some proof that this blog is actually bringing some value to people:
- On June 26, 2019, Feedspot featured me at #22 on their list of the Top 30 Philippines Lifestyle Blogs.
- Then, on August 17, 2020, I was recognized again, this time at #81 on the Top 100 Online Business Blogs and Websites for Beginners in 2020.
This blog, which you knew as the Van Dewey Balao Blog from 2016 to 2024, has a new name!
It's now proudly called Gritld (pronounced "grit-led"). This name isn't just a catchy title; it truly shows what my journey has been about—being led by grit. It's about how I've grown into the person I am today, fueled by persistence, resilience, toughness, and inner strength.
- Persistence: Like the long hours I put in as a small-scale farmer and laborer, or my constant drive to get an education and change my life's direction.
- Resilience: This is about bouncing back from tough times. For example, when a corrupted hard drive wiped out all my early writing, or navigating challenging experiences like being a "convent boy."
- Toughness: My toughness was forged through experiences like waking at 4 AM to do chores without electricity, enduring extreme weather to earn money, and walking miles with heavy loads of firewood, cassava, and other household necessities. My shoulders would ache so much that I'd sometimes cry from the pain on the way. I was simply too young for such demanding physical activities and heavy workloads.
- Inner Strength: This is the strong will that helped me say "no" to distractions, know when to walk away from bad situations, and always put my values ahead of what others expected.
Gritld is more than just a name—it's the driving force behind how I find and share helpful information with you. Think of this blog as a collection of resources for navigating the online world, all gathered with a spirit of purpose and curiosity.
Vission
To be a valuable and relied-upon online guide for everyone.
Mission
To curate and deliver essential online resources that empower people to quickly find what they need, saving them time and reducing stress.
About the Man Behind This Blog
I'm Van Dewey Balao. Outside of my full-time corporate work, you'll find me loving life as a husband and a dad to one awesome child. Or, as you might guess, I'm often right here on this blog, tinkering with code to keep it looking just right! I truly value my downtime and prefer to spend it on things that matter to me, rather than hitting up parties or dealing with negative vibes.
I'm a proud Kankanaey, one of the Igorot indigenous tribes from the Cordillera Administrative Region. Fun fact: the Spanish actually tried to conquer us, but they never succeeded! So yeah, I speak my dialect, plus Ilocano, Tagalog, and English.
And since you've made it this far, here are a few Random Facts About the Man Behind this Blog:
- I'm a jack of all trades! I enjoy learning and trying new things.
- Fair warning: I'm a loud talker! It's just how I am.
- I'm not anti-social; I'm selectively social. I simply prefer spending time with people who truly resonate with me.
- You might find this interesting: I prefer to be hated than loved, because it means I'm true to myself. That's why I often say "No" more than "Yes."
- Want to make me happy? Give me enough time to sleep! I absolutely love sleeping.
- Before sitting at a desk, I used to be a small-scale farmer and laborer. I worked under all sorts of extreme weather just to help my parents for a living and for me to have something to use at school.
- You might occasionally see me chewing "nganga" (also known as "moma" or "mama"), especially when I visit my home province. It's a traditional practice.
- Generally speaking, I'm an average Joe. Nothing too fancy here!
- I used to smoke, but I quit back in 2015! Haven't touched one since.
- No tattoos for me, and no plans to get any!
- I'm an advocate for finding happiness based on your own personal values.
- I learned to cook, wash dishes, clean the house, and do my own laundry starting at age six. I even had to wake up at 4:00 AM to get chores done before school, all by the light of gas lamps because we didn't have electricity.
- The turning point of my life was when I was tilling someone's land for five days straight, hoeing by hand. I promised myself right then and there that I would study hard to get an office job, so I'd never have to do that kind of work again.
- I once worked as a "pahinante" (a local term for a helper, often in manual labor or carrying heavy loads).
- One of the most unforgettable and challenging experiences I had was being a "convent boy"
- For a time, I was a diocesan seminarian.
- Growing up, I worked way more than I played. Because of this, I even tried to run away from home a few times! How about you, have you ever tried to run away?
- Working on the farm was totally normal for us, but I know for many, it's hard to imagine doing that kind of strenuous work daily, especially under extreme weather conditions.
It's ok if you disagree with me. I can't force you to be right!