Ivn is a textbook millennial—ambitious in theory, aimless in practice—stumbling through life with the confidence of someone who once believed he’d have his shit together by 30. He doesn’t. He does, however, have his LinkedIn profile photo posted above for no real good reason. Are you cringing yet?
Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, Ivn now lives in the U.S. with his long-suffering (but deeply cherished) husband Ed, and their Pomeranian children: Bogart (†), Bertha, and Badette. The dogs run the house, we simply pay mortgage.
Ivn’s life unfolds in discernible phases, all of which center around his overcompensating attempts to pass as a functioning adult. He nails the performance—occasionally even clipping his fingernails unprompted, like some sort of grown-up. He does his own laundry, too. Be still, your heart.
Much like the rest of us clinging to modern existence by a single frayed thread, Ivn is perpetually in search of meaning, or at least a dopamine hit worth the credit card bill. His spending habits swing wildly between retail therapy and financial masochism. Yes, he knows consumerism is a farce. No, that hasn’t stopped him. The illusion of ethical consumption died sometime around the same era that LiveJournal did. Speaking for himself, of course.
Though he tends to keep his tender bits well-guarded, Ivn is, bafflingly, a romantic. Not the rom-com kind—he’d rather chew glass than sit through two hours of contrived banter and implausible meet-cutes. But give him a broken soul, a tragic backstory, and an open tab at the bar, and he’s all in.
He doesn’t dwell on the past, mostly because he can’t be bothered. He moves on with enviable speed, sometimes before a situation has even finished happening. If repression were a sport, he’d have medals. His ability to code-switch is legendary, bordering on dissociative. He’s one person with Ed, another at family gatherings, and something entirely unrecognizable with coworkers. He adjusts, he performs, he survives.
Were hypocrisy a currency, Ivn would be a Fortune 500 CEO. Many of his moral stances were conceived in the fever swamp of teenage angst and left unexamined for decades. That said, if you’ve stumbled upon this site looking for wisdom or a well-adjusted life philosophy, go back. Turn around. You’re in the wrong part of the internet. Who even makes a personal website anymore? Ivn, apparently. This has been your unsolicited deep dive into him. Expect inconsistencies. Lower your standards. Proceed with caution.
FREQUENLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What’s your name?
Ivn Manahan. Spelled exactly like that—no, not short for anything. Yes, that’s my real name. No, I didn’t make it up to sound cool. I used to hate it, mostly because kids are cruel and I have a petty streak. But I’ve grown into it, especially after meeting people named after produce. I don’t have a satisfying origin story for the name; my mother was tight-lipped, and my biological father exited stage left before I could ask. If I were chasing cool points, I’d have gone with something truly deranged. Lucifer, maybe.
What is this blog about?
Nothing in particular. It’s not curated for clicks or conversions. I write about life, absurdity, thoughts, contradictions, and the general weirdness of being alive. I write for myself, and occasionally regret doing so. My opinions age like dairy, and I frequently disagree with my past self—often with violent passion. If you’re looking for consistency or personal growth arcs, lower your expectations immediately.
Isn’t having a website with your name kind of narcissistic?
Yes.
What do you do?
I’m a full-time Registered Nurse. Was it my dream job? Not remotely. Did it become the right job? Somehow, yes. Nursing is exhausting and thankless, but weirdly fulfilling. There’s a strange comfort in knowing you’re useful in someone’s absolute worst moment. Also, I have bills. I’m also a husband and a devoted dog dad. Leave me alone.
Favorite books?
A smattering of angst, magical realism, and books that got me through my pretentious phase:
All Shall Be Well; And All Shall Be Well…, Brideshead Revisited, By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept, Go Ask Alice, Like Water for Chocolate, Of Love and Other Demons, One Hundred Years of Solitude, She’s Come Undone, The Alchemist, The God of Small Things, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, The Prophet, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Veronika Decides to Die
Favorite films?
Prepare to roll your eyes:
A Clockwork Orange, Almost Famous, American History X, Batman Returns, Battle Royale, Before Sunset, Cidade de Deus, Donnie Darko, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Fight Club, Finding Nemo, Goodfellas, Happy-Go-Lucky, Home Alone, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Mean Girls, Memento, Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, Pulp Fiction, Slumdog Millionaire, The Basketball Diaries, The Godfather, The Neverending Story, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Prestige, The Shining, The Sound of Music, The Squid and the Whale, This Is England, Trainspotting, V for Vendetta, Vanilla Sky, Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
TV shows?
A beautiful mess:
Are You Afraid of the Dark?, As Told by Ginger, Batibot, Breaking Bad, Crime Nights, Dexter, Extreme Forensics, Far Flung Floyd, Faking It, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Maging Sino Ka Man, Miami Ink, Planet Earth, TV Patrol, Untalkative Bunny
Favorite music artists?
Ben Folds, Bloc Party, Christina Aguilera, Dave Matthews Band, Everything But The Girl, Feist, Fiona Apple, Incubus, Lauryn Hill, Meryn Cadell, N.E.R.D., Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sia, Sufjan Stevens, The Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer
McDonald’s or Jollibee?
Jollibee. Not even close.