Hues and Shades

First Month

2009-10-23T05:44:00.017+08:00

Today marks our first month in the US. I can't really say that I'm already 'in love' with our new life because if you look at it, it really hasn't started yet. We have yet to start work with our new employer as we're still waiting for our intern licenses to come out. Although, the California Board of Pharmacy has assured us that our licenses will be released in 2-3 weeks. But until then, I am just somebody on vacation. *grins*

Our first two weeks were spent on relaxing, getting over jet lag and spending time with family. We are currently staying with Jerome's parents who have been nothing but generous, supportive and welcoming of their new daughter-in-law. *blush* Dad and Mom has guided us in every application process that needs to be done in order for us to start work ASAP - from our social security numbers to our credit card applications. I am just one lucky girl to have such wonderful in-laws.

We also visited Lolo Boy and Tita Trina's family in San Francisco. It was nice catching up and seeing how my cousins have all grown so fast over the year! It was also extra special to meet the newest addition to their family - baby Hanna. :-)

We also got together with our closest cousins, Ate Kathleen and Karl, in L.A and spent more than a week at their new house. The three of us plus Kaye (Arvin came much later into our lives. Haha.) literally grew up together. From learning how to ride bikes to going on our first unsupervised gimik at Hard Rock (it was the IN thing then, hehe), we experienced them all together. And now as we have grown older, the comfort of being around them hasn't faded.

As expected, L.A. was F.U.N.! It was even more memorable because my best buddy, Rachel, came with us! Back in college, we made a pact to go on a foreign trip before either one of us got married. Since the plan didn't push through, this is the next best thing to it! So there, we all went tourist-y in Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Disneyland. Haha.

I also had the chance to spend some quality time with my highschool kabarkadas, Tylou and Clarice. Tylou is now based in L.A. while Clarice lives in San Francisco. It was a blast making chika again about each other's lives especially now that Tylou is a soon-to-be mom and Clarice's family just moved to a house that they can now proudly call their own. That plus me filling them in on with details about our wedding, it was just chika all the way! Ang saya!

For the more serious stuff, I am proud to say that we have accomplished quite a few milestones over the past month. First, with the help of Jerome's dad, we were able to buy our first car. A Mazda CX-9. :-)

Plus, we were able to receive our social security numbers in less than 2 weeks, got ourselves US numbers and iPhones (woohoo!), bank accounts with Bank of America and applied for credit cards.

And most of all, I've been learning how to cook! Thanks to Jerome's mom who has been patiently teaching me her delicious recipes.

Not bad for our first month, don't you think? :-)

On Leaving

2009-09-10T19:04:00.001+08:00

If things go as planned, Jerome and I have only 12 days left in the Philippines before we start our new life in the US. Honestly, things haven't really sunk in yet. Sure there have already been despedida parties left and right with our dearest friends and more to come in the next week with our families but I still can't believe we only have two remaining weekends left! Two! Just two and then what?

This will be the first time that I will be away from my family. I remember how I admired those classmates for being strong as they went to Manila to study while their families lived in different parts of the archipelago. Some even as far as Mindanao. While I couldn't imagine myself being away from my Mom, Lola and brother. I even cried out of homesickess the first time I slept in a dorm in my first year of college. And now I have to endure thousands of miles away from home...*sigh*

My wonderful family

I will also definitely miss the familiarity of my life here. I will miss the routine of getting up at 6:30 in the morning and rushing to beat the long line in the terminal to catch a van to Makati. I will miss hiding my slipper-ladden feet from the guards as I enter our building as wearing of slippers to work is prohibited by building management. I will miss Manong Art as he greets me a "Good Morning Ma'am, very early!" as his way of teasing me when I am rushing to "time-in" just before 9 am. I will definitely miss morning chika with Miel, Noemi, Ann and Tricia over coffee and breakfast. I will miss walking to my workplace and knowing exactly what needs to be done and accomplished for the day. I will miss lunch at 1 pm at our 12th floor cafeteria and pondering whether to order at Lola's Kitchen, Japanese or Mongolian as you've been eating the same food over and over for the past 4 years. I'll even miss enduring the long line at the Standard Chartered terminal just to catch a van home.

A view of my building from Buendia

My Workplace

I will miss every little thing of my life here. And I do hope that my "new" life in the US will be as fun and fulfilling as my life in the Philippines have been.

A Story of our Wedding Preps (As Told by the Pictures from my Phone)

2009-09-01T11:29:00.001+08:00

We've been married for 4 months now and I still haven't gotten around to posting and blogging about our wedding preps and the big day itself. Now that I am officially on 'bum-ville', I now have plenty of time to do all of these! Yey!

So let me walk you through the 7-month long preparation of our destination wedding. Here are some pictures taken from my phone during those fun and exciting, at times tiring and frustrating, months of looking for a venue, hair and make-up artist, gown fittings, meetings with suppliers, etc.

First off, we really wanted to get married OUTSIDE of Manila. We've been living in the fast-paced city all our lives and wanted this one special day to be relaxed, peaceful, intimate and AWAY from the frenzied city. But before finalizing our decision for a destination wedding, we looked around Manila for a Church that may possibly be the 'one'.

Paco Park Chapel

Of all the Churches that we visited in Manila, Paco Park Chapel won hands down. The chapel was just enough to accomodate our small wedding and we could even have a garden reception right inside the compound.

But since an out-of-town wedding was still our first priority, we decided to look for a venue in Tagaytay or nearby Batangas. We felt that it was the best destination for three reasons - 1) it was close enough to Manila but is still 'out-of-town'; 2) we had our first date there and 3) Jerome proposed in the same restaurant that we had our first date in. O di ba, perfect?!

And there we found the perfect chapel...

Chapel on the Hill at Don Bosco

The Chapel on the Hill is located inside the Don Bosco Retreat House in Batulao, Batangas just outside of Tagaytay. It's a very small chapel and can only accomodate about 250 persons. The Chapel is circular in structure and has a labyrinth inside. People are advised to meditate while traveling along the labyrinth and pray once you arrive at the center. Please try it if you get to visit this Chapel. It was a very calming experience and made me feel God's presence around me.

Simultaneously, we were also looking for reception venues. In Manila, we went around the recommended venues in Intramuros but were disappointed with them as they were either too stuffy and dungeon-like or poorly maintained.

Reception venues in Intramuros

In Tagaytay, we visited Sonia's Garden, Hacienda Isabella and Josephine's Restaurant. We decided on the latter as it served the best Filipino food, had a spacious Parasol Garden and a very affordable wedding package.

Josephine's Parasol Garden

And during the day itself, the garden was beautifully decorated with candles, lights and flowers by our florist, Jojo Calderon of Saint Jo's Flowers (will post pics soon!).

I had my gown made by the up and coming young designer, Joel Escober. His works have already been featured in some fashion magazines like Metro. Joel has always been our family's designer over the years. He made my lola's gown for her 70th birthday and some of my tita's everyday clothes and gowns. Over the years, Joel hasn't changed a bit. He is still the same humble and down-to-earth guy who made a Mexican outfit for a 7-year old Arvin during his elementary days. Haha.

This was taken during my first gown fitting. I still remember how excited I felt back then. Hehe.

The gowns of my entourage were also made by Joel. Our motiff was rust orange and chocolate brown. I wanted kasi our wedding to feel like romantic autumn. We made sure that these were apparent from the flowers to the invitations and the gowns of the entourage.

Noemi - our veil sponsor

Miel - our candle sponsor

Chiqui - our bridesmaid

Susan , our maid of honor, with hubby Hubert, our groomsman.

Posing with Joel during their gown fitting :-)

With the help of family, friends and good and reliable suppliers, our wedding went beautifully as planned. It was just how we wanted it to be.

Paalam, Tita Cory.

2009-08-05T20:37:00.003+08:00

I was only 4 years old when the People Power Revolution happened. I do not remember much about it except yellow balloons, ribbons and throngs of people that I saw from the 3^rd floor of our Sta. Mesa condominium. I also remember owning a yellow t-shirt with the face of Ninoy on it given by my activist parents. As a young child, I did not understand their cause nor felt the significance of it all.

I remember that once we owned a coffee table book on the People Power Revolution. I was just probably 5 or 6 years old then and couldn’t do much with the book but to look at the pictures. I remember pondering over photos of rallies, Cory speaking among her supporters and a young Kris sweeping the streets of EDSA. But the one picture that struck me most, even at such a young age, was the wake of Ninoy. As I looked at the picture, I wondered why his death has caused so many people, young and old, to line up for hours to get a glimpse of him and cried at the loss of this man.

I didn’t know back then that the death of this man fueled the Filipinos desire to free themselves from tyranny…and his wife, Cory Aquino, leading the way for our country’s democracy.

Cory Aquino or Tita Cory, as we fondly call her, will always be an icon of democracy and a symbol of freedom. The lives that we are all so enjoying right now is really because of her.

I admire Tita Cory for the person that she is. I admire her for her courage in the face of the Marcoses and the numerous coup attempts to bring down her government. I marvel at her strength in facing the death of her husband and single-handedly raising her five children. I admire her for her simplicity, for how much love she can give and her strong and unwavering faith in God.

When Tita Cory died at the age of 76 last Saturday, after suffering from colon cancer, I knew I just had to pay my last respects to her. I felt that it was the least that I could do, the least that I could give, to the woman who had given so much to each one of us and to the country.

My family and I went to her wake at the La Salle Greenhills last Sunday. It was very heartwarming to see thousands of people lining up to pay homage to Tita Cory. And what’s amazing about it was how patient people were. Nobody showed irritation over having to endure 3 hours of standing and no one was cutting lines. Everyone just felt humbled and honored to have the chance of getting a glimpse of the former president and the woman who has given so much of herself to the country.

When her remains were transferred from La Salle Greenhills to the Manila Cathedral last Monday, I knew I just had to be in Ayala Avenue to send her off. Employees of Makati lined-up along Ayala Avenue and gathered around the Freedom Monument at the corner of Paseo de Roxas, under the scorching heat of the sun, armed with yellow confetti, ribbons and streamers. Some were shouting “Cory, Cory!” while others were silenced by the overwhelming feeling that she is indeed gone.

(photos grabbed from Cynthia's facebook)

I am writing this as I am following the live coverage of Tita Cory’s funeral. Her convoy has already arrived in Paranaque and is now nearing the Manila Memorial Park. In a few more hours, Tita Cory will be laid to rest alongside the love of her life, Ninoy, and with our creator in heaven.

Paalam, Tita Cory. You may not be here with us anymore but your legacy will always live on. And we will promise you that we will continue on with the causes that you have started. Itutuloy namin ang laban.

Welcome back Ruven!

2009-07-30T17:43:00.003+08:00

We were so thrilled to hear from Ruven after his two-year hiatus from us! So, it was a trip down memory lane last week as we met up at the Mall of Asia for dinner and drinks - coffee for us and bottles of San Mig Light for Ruven. Sorry Ruven, tumanda na talaga kami during the last 2 years. Haha.

Thanks Ruven, Chi, Gail and of course to my hubby, for another night full of college anecdotes, revelations (!) and endless laughter. It was definitely one of the best nights that I had in the last couple of months. :-)

Quick Getaway

2009-07-25T09:35:00.002+08:00

On one long weekend, Hubert, Susan, Jerome and I went to Batangas for a quick vacation to relax and unwind.

First stop, we went to the Sta. Rosa Market to buy some tilapia, liempo, bangus, manggang hilaw at bagoong.

Jerome happily haggling for the best price.

After that, we proceeded to Batangas for our much-awaited, first-ever, couples vacation. Hehe.

Preparing lunch of inihaw na bangus, liempo and manggang hilaw...yum!

After lunch, we played a mean round of competitive pusoy-dos.

(In the photo: Hubert getting his turn at shuffling the cards while Susan was not too happy with her score. Yes, we kept tabs of our scores. Ganun ka-competitive! Hehe.)

Finally, after a hundred or so rounds of pusoy dos, we decided to check out the beach. Unfortunately, the waves were too big then and we couldn't go island hopping to much nicer and cleaner waters.

Hence, we had to settle and make do with what we had. And that's just what we did!

Jerome posing for the camera while Hubert looked on.

After which Hubert said, "Ako naman!".

Riding the waves...we had so much fun splashing and getting thrown by the waves. Parang mga bata! Haha!

Hubert getting thrown by the waves.

The boys got tired of playing in the water and decided to threaten us to a sand-throwing game.

The next day, we decided to try out the slides at the resort's swimming pool.

Jerome happily sliding.

Si Hubert naman...bakit nga pala wala akong picture ng nagsa-slide?

On our way home, we stopped by at the Kainan sa Dalampasigan for some late lunch...

...and tried their famous tanigue steak! Sobrang sarap! It's a must-try!

We also tried their equally delicious binalot na adobo (i forgot the actual name of the dish), chopseuy and pork sisg.

Went around the compound of the restaurant and took some more pictures.

Thanks guys! Till the next out-of-town trip!

The Day Before the Big Day

2009-07-18T08:37:00.001+08:00

May 8, 2009

Woke up at around 8:00 am and had breakfast with mom, Arvin and Jerome. Yes, Jerome and I violated the rule of not seeing each other the day before the wedding. Since 5 pm pa the next day ang wedding namin, we just thought what the heck, more than 24 hours away pa naman yun eh. Kaya pwede pa magkita. Hehe. Anyway, after breakfast mom, Arvin, and I, together with Eding, went up to Tagaytay while Jerome went back to his apartment to grab his barong and other wedding stuff and headed off to Sta. Rosa to meet up with his family before they all go together to Tagaytay.

Arrived in Tagaytay a little after noon and went straight to the house that we borrowed for the special day. The house is owned by my mom's friends, Pie and Rina David, who were very kind to let us use it for a few days. The house was so beautiful! With all the stained glass walls and the beautiful backyard. We were greeted by a nice lunch prepared by my lola, Tito Roy, Tita Ethyl and the kids who all went up to Tagaytay the day before to settle in. I will forever be grateful for them as they braved the storm, the notorius Tagaytay fog and the blackout just to make sure that things are all ready before the big day. *sniff*

Anyhoo, my cousin, Ate Kathleen, and Mylene arrived after lunch to pick me up and whisk me to Nature Spa for a much needed pampering and relaxation. We were also joined by my mom and there we spent 3 glorious hours of body scrub, detox and massage.

While we were at the spa, the rest of the family were getting ready for the 'rehearsal dinner' back at the house. My mom arranged a small get-together for family and friends who will be going up to Tagaytay the night before the wedding. We felt that it was a nice way for both families (Jerome's and ours) to bond and get to know each other in a relaxed setting since weddings tend to be hectic and crazy with all the preparations and other stuff that needs to be taken cared of. It was also our way of saying 'thank you' to our friends who made an effort to travel out-of-town and wholeheartedly lent us two days out of their busy schedule (most went up right after work kaya sobrang thank you talaga!).

For the food, we flew in CNT's famous lechon from Cebu, had Eding cook her delicious kaldereta, inihaw na bangus and Ceasar's Salad. The first to arrive were Jerome's dad, mom and his sister, Ate Wena (Jerome was left in the hotel since di nga kami pwedeng magkita. Haha.). Then came Lolo Boy and his sisters, Granny Minnie and Granny Dolly, who were our ninangs for the wedding. My officemates, Miel (candle sponsor), Noemi (veil sponsor), Tricia (offertory), Ann (impromptu commentator) and Ann's son, Alex (bible bearer), were also one of the first ones to arrive. They left the office on the dot kaya maaga sila nakarating. Hehe. Soon after came the Serrano Family with all my half-uncles and aunts and cousins. Ang saya kasi it was the first time for the siblings to all get together as Tito Roy's family is based in Cebu. It was actually heartwarming to see them all together, eating, drinking, smoking and laughing loudly (now I know where my unique laugh came from!) as they exchanged one funny anecdote after another.

At around 10:00 pm, my bestest friends arrived - Susan (martron of honor), Hubert (groomsman), Rachel (maid of honor) and Chiqui (bridesmaid). As they already had dinner (hindi pwedeng gutumin si Susan kasi buntis), they just came along to check up on the bride. As usual, pinatawa na naman ako ng pinatawa ni Hubert. Hehe.

I retired to bed after Susan and the others had left which was probably at around 11:00 pm. Before entering the room, I remember glancing back at the Serrano family who were still huddled around in a circle, drinking and laughing and right there I knew that tomorrow was going to be the best day of my life as I had all my family and friends with me.

Just Married!

2009-05-13T20:54:00.003+08:00

A Double Helping of Love

2009-05-13T20:48:00.001+08:00

I just want to share with you an article from the Mother's Day issue of the Sunday Inquirer Magazine. It features my mom and I and my perspective on how it is to be raised by a single mom. Coincidentally, this came out the day after my wedding.

A Double Helping of Love
By Pennie Azarcon dela Cruz
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:56:00 05/09/2009

Filed Under: Family

FAMILY, says Mara Gonzalez, 28, “is not about having both a father and a mother.” Although she’s not discounting the importance of having both parents around, she believes that “the love, support and respect each member has for the other are just as critical. And you can still get these even if you only have one parent around.”

Mara speaks from experience. She and younger brother Arvin have been raised by a single mother who, this daughter says unabashedly, is her hero and idol. “I’ve never felt embarrassed about having a single mom. In fact, I’m very proud of her for raising us single-handedly and giving us a good life”

Her mother, Annie Serrano, has always been very open about their situation, says Mara. “She didn’t leave us in the dark. We understood why things had to happen this way. My parents’ first separation happened when I was very young so I guess I didn’t really feel the impact then. But when they got back together and separated again when I was 10, it was more difficult to handle. I was much older then and had gotten used to having a father. ”

She recalls: “During their second separation, I remember asking my mother bakit namamaga ang mata niya [why her eyes were swollen]. She said that she and dad were separating again and that she was pregnant. I remember crying as well. My dad had left for work by then, and I really pitied my mom. I thought she was in a bad situation –
having to raise another child without a husband. ”

Initially, things were just as difficult for her and her brother, she recounts. “Probably the worst aspect was the fact that my mom is the only parent we have. I remember waking up and crying at night whenever I’d find that my mom hadn’t come home from work yet. I would sometimes worry myself silly that something bad had happened to her.”

But there were a lot of good times as well, Mara adds. “I have a very good relationship with my mom. I think our situation made us stronger because we learned to count on each other for care and support.”

She particularly relishes the time when she was younger and they would play video and board games together. “I remember thinking back then, ‘Wow, I have such a cool mom!’"

And then there were the work-related outings when her mother would take her to workshops and seminars on gender. “I remember watching a slide show during one of her seminars titled ’How to Catch and Keep a Man.’ The slide show illustrated how media present women in stereotyped roles, which isn’t right. There’s really more to being a woman than catching a man by looking beautiful. I think that thought has helped me a lot in making decisions on relationships with the opposite sex,” says Mara.

It helped a lot too that her mother is feminist, she adds. “She would remind me that I should be assertive as a woman, and taught me how to recognize and avoid domestic violence. My mom would also remind my brother about this, saying, “Arvin ha, be good to your future wife.”

One high point of their relationship, recounts Mara, was hearing her mother say “how proud she was when she heard me tell an ex-boyfriend that his happiness cannot depend on me.”

Indeed, says this young pharmacist who works for a multinational drug company, her mom did everything to make sure she and her brother didn’t feel shortchanged by their situation. “We didn’t feel any different from other families because my lola [grandmother] and my mom were always there for us. They watched every cheerleading competition or play that I participated in, decorated our house with flowers to cheer me up when I worried about not graduating from college on time, and bought me my first ever corporate clothes for my first ever job interview. They were just there every step of the way!”

Family Day in school wasn’t a problem either. “Yes, we attended the annual family day, but only once or twice, and not because we felt different or left out, but because it wasn’t mandatory,” says Mara, giggling.

Instead, she recalls, her mom and their homeroom adviser organized a mini-family day for their 2nd year class. “It was a surprise! Our parents met us after our retreat and we had games. Then they shared stories about how it was to raise us and how we were very much loved, no ifs or buts about it.”

Such acceptance only reflects the changing attitudes about single parents, observes this University of the Philippines graduate. “I’m sure when my mom was first pregnant and single, rumors must have circulated about her. But I think when people saw how good a person and mother she is, they treated her with respect.”

Society, Mara notes, “has become more supportive of single parents. We even have a law on Solo Parenting (RA 8972- Ed.). People have started to recognize the efforts and hard work single parents put in to balance work and family. Hopefully, more companies would learn to give single parents a break through flexible working hours.”

Her classmates and friends are just as understanding, Mara reveals. “I remember one friend commenting that my situation is far better than those of other children whose parents fight all the time. Sadly, there are parents who live together under one roof but fight all the time. They say they’re staying together ‘for the sake of the children,’ but they have to realize that their behavior towards each other affects their children adversely.”

Not that things were always perfect on the home front, Mara clarifies. “I would have wanted my brother and me to have a stronger relationship with our dad. After all, he is still our father and I still want him to be a part of my life in spite of our situation.”

Her grandmother and great grandmother tried to fill in that gap, however. “They would tell us endless anecdotes about my dad. This somehow helped us get to know him better as we didn’t spend as much time with him as other kids do with their fathers.”

Adds Mara: “The good thing about my mom is that she never made us hate our dad and never made us feel that our dad didn’t love us. That’s why when people ask about my dad, I just explain to them that my parents are separated and I live with my mom. People would also ask if I still get to see my dad, and I would say that when I was younger, he would visit me every Saturday. Now that I’m older, we have an occasional lunch to catch up, or sometimes I e-mail him about the happenings in my life.”

The rewards far outstrip the drawbacks of her situation, she says. “One of the good things that came out of being raised by a single parent is that I learned to be more responsible and independent. As I wanted to make things easier for my mom, I would help her out in any way that I could. When I was much younger, I did a lot of household chores with the guidance of my lola. I would water the plants, make the beds, wash the dishes, etc.”

When her mother left to work in Afghanistan for a United Nations agency, she took over the monthly budgeting and played surrogate mom to her younger brother, Mara adds proudly.

If she were to write a thank-you note to her mom, Mara says she’d thank her most for three things:

1. “For raising us and sacrificing a lot to give us the best life one could ever have;

2. For always being there to support us through the good times and bad;

3. For being the best mom there is!”

Three Things I Learned from Mom
By Mara Gonzalez

1. “Living with my mom and lola, I learned how important it is for children to be raised and surrounded by love from family and friends, even if both parents are not together anymore.

2. I learned that marriage is a work in progress. Love is not the only thing that can keep a marriage going. There should be respect, genuine care, sincerity, support, etc.

3. I’ve also realized that it is important to love yourself first. When things get rough, it’s important to believe that you’ll get through it no matter what happens.”

Our Wedding Onsite Video :-)

2009-05-13T16:57:00.001+08:00

Jerome & Mara Onsite Video from Arvin Serrano on Vimeo.

Wouldn't it be nice...

2008-08-29T19:20:00.002+08:00

... to get married in Caleruega?

Double Celebration!

2008-08-27T18:38:00.001+08:00

Jerome finally got his results . . . and he passed with FLYING COLORS! His exam score was even higher than the rest of us (may pakaba-kaba effect pa yan, yun pala tatalbugan kaming lahat. haha!) I'm so proud of you baby!

Thank you again for all your prayers. We could not have done this without all your support. With us passing the exam, things are starting to fall into place.

Our deepest gratitude too to our favorite teacher Fritz. The most fotent famotidine will forever be in our hearts.

Finally!

2008-08-21T18:43:00.001+08:00

Thank you to all those who prayed for us during our exam. Thank you for all your support. After two months of waiting, I finally got my exam results this afternoon . . . and I passed! And the score that I got was more than what I hoped for!

Please allow me to extend my deepest, most heartfelt gratitude to all those who showed their unwavering love, support and patience during and after our exam...

...to my family for always, always being there for me and for believing in me and allowing me to chase after my dreams in my own time.

...to Jerome's parents, thank you for "adopting" me during our stay in the US and for showing us that there's more to US than Disneyland and Universal Studios.

...to my cousins, Kathleen and Karl, for the great time that we had in LA - at Disneyland and Universal Studios! Haha!

...to my blood sisters, Miel and Noemi, for their patience during my "windang" moments before the exam and for gladly taking over my job responsibilities for a month. No words can express how grateful I am to have you as my "sisters".

...to Dada and Tricia, for never doubting that Jerome and I can get through this. :-)

...to my boss, who inspite of everything, made us feel that she is behind us 100% in all that we do.

...to Rach, Gail and Chichi, for listening to my fears and anxieties over countless cups of Starbucks coffee. Wednesdays will always be FPGEE Support Group 101. :-p

...to Hubert and Susan, for reminding us to take a break from studying once in a while. :-)

...to Jimmy and Chiqui, for their constant presence.

...and to GOD, to whom we will forever be grateful for the guidance He provided during the exam. We could not have done this without You.

Author's Note: Jerome hasn't received his exam results yet. Please continue to pray for him although there's no doubt that he passed too. :-)

Coming Soon: US Trip 2008

2008-08-11T20:15:00.002+08:00

Freedom at Last!

2008-08-02T22:25:00.001+08:00

I just got home from a night of ktv singing with friends. After months and months of studying and weekends robbed off of rest and recreation, it was a relief to finally go on a gimik without worrying (and panicking!) that maybe I got my priorities screwed up - na dapat nag-aral na lang ako at hindi nag-enjoy. Not that I don't enjoy studying because I really do (nerd na kung nerd). Its just that masarap yung feeling na you can really have fun minus the extra responsibility of studying. I love it!

Earlier today, our college block had a mini reunion as one of our blockmates, Winlove, was visiting from Canada. We had lunch at the Marina and toured her around Mall of Asia. As we were passing by All Flip Flops, Winlove curiously asked, "Anong meron diyan? Bakit ang daming tao?". I replied, "Ah, panic buying ng tsinelas". I was surprised to learn that when she left for Canada three years ago, wala pa palang Havaianas. At wala din ito sa Canada. Kaya kinuwento na namin that Havaianas is super popular here in the Philippines and that in fairness, comfortable siya at hindi nabubura ang print. And that was enough to make Winlove buy her first pair of Havaianas. Hehe.

Also, I finally met Chichi's boyfriend, Joel. He was really nice and I can see that he loves her so much. Yun nga lang, hindi siya kumanta sa ktv, kaya Joel you owe as one!

That's it for now, I better go to sleep as I have to wake up early tomorrow for mass and some furniture shopping. Pictures to follow soon!

Manila Ocean Park

2008-05-10T13:28:00.001+08:00

My cousins, Nicole and Fritz, came to Manila for a short vacation. Unlike last year where they stayed for almost a month, this vacation lasted only for a few days. So, we had to make it short but sweet! Haha.

We took them to see the Manila Ocean Park . . . and boy, was I pleasantly surprised! It was amazing to see soooooo many people visiting the park. At Php 400 per person, the place didn't come cheap kaya it was nice to see a variety of people from all walks of life "ooh-ing and aah-ing" to all sorts of Philippine marine life.

But of course, we went there for the fish and we were not disappointed at all! Below are photos of my favorites. (Note: Flash photography is prohibited kaya medyo malabo yung ibang pictures.)

The Giant Spider Crab

The Reef Fish

The Spotted Garden Eel

The Giant Grouper aka Lapu-lapu

And of course, the pretty colored fish (of which I forgot what they're called. hehe)

But the main attraction is underwater tunnel/aquarium where manta rays and sharks swim about giving that added thrill to the place.

Manila Ocean Park is a must-go-to-place for family and friends. Just be prepared for the crowds especially on weekends. The park is open daily from 10 am to 9 pm. Enjoy!

Me, Jerome and His Car

2008-04-20T10:33:00.001+08:00

I have come to the conlusion that Jerome's car doesn't like me. Why? Because it always chooses to be uncooperative whenever I'm going to use it. Acting just like an ex- girlfriend - nag-iinarte, nagseselos at nagtatampo.

O sige na nga, not naman EVERYTIME. But for the past few weeks, something always goes wrong with it.

Say for example, during our Batangas trip last month, it decided to overheat. Yes, decided to. Not minding that Jerome had it checked days before the trip, spending 6k on repair, to make sure that it will perform smoothly. But still, its fan broke down, leading to a series of malfunctioning parts - a burnt engine head and a punctured radiator. Which cost Jerome again thousands of pesos on repair... and cost me to lose my cellphone (but that's another story).

And as if this incident wasn't heartbreaking enough, when Jerome was supposed to take me to the airport, it REFUSED to start. It did not even consider that my flight was at 5 am and finding a taxi at the ungodly hour of 3 am was to say the least, a hassle. I had to lug down my bags all the way to our street's gate kasi walang tricycle. Hay. Anyhow, I made it to the airport in time for my flight. But still can you just imagine the stress and pressure it caused?

The third and hopefully final rebellion happend last week when my lola woke me up at 5 am to say, "Mara, bukas ang ilaw ng kotse!". Grudgingly, I got up from my bed, my mind still in a haze, and made my way to the garage. At first I thought that the lamp post outside our house was just creating the illusion of lights on. But then I got to the car, ayun nga nga, the brake and tail lights were on in its full glory. The funny thing is, upon checking the switch (or whatever you call it), I realized that I didn't leave it on. The headlights were off too so paano nangyaring naka-on yung ilaw sa likod? Feeling ko tuloy nasa set ako ng transformers and the car had a mind of its own. So the inevitable happened, the battery's car got discharged. And this was when I was supposed to use it the next day to go to BFAD. Hmp, damot.

And when the above incidents happened, Jerome's words would always be, "Hindi pa nangyari sakin yan", further supporting my conclusion that his car doesn't like me.

So now that the car's been repaired again and working like brand new, sana naman magtuloy-tuloy na. *sigh* How do you befriend a car anyway?

Happy, Happy, Happy!

2008-03-23T19:18:00.001+08:00

My birthday was just what I wanted - relaxing, stress-free and fun! Thanks to those who wished me a happy birthday! It was a pleasant surprise to see birthday greetings on my friendster page and several text messages when I woke up this morning. Thanks guys for making me feel special and loved. I really appreciate it!

Opening gifts from Jerome's family. This gift is from his sister, Wena. Thanks Ate Wena! I love it!

Will write about this special day as soon as I get down from my happy cloud. Thanks again guys!

Teaser

2008-03-17T19:08:00.001+08:00

Our weekend getaway was a blast! Thanks to these three very dear friends who made my first birthday bash not only fun, but extremely meaningful and memorable.

Will write about this soon!

P.S. Turning 27 isn't so bad after all.

My Birthday Plans

2008-03-08T10:14:00.002+08:00

Okay, my birthday's coming up in 2 weeks and Jerome has been asking me what I wanted as a gift. My first answer was, "Peace and quiet" and after a few seconds I replied, "A stress-free day". Honestly, I have never been really big on birthday celebrations. Unlike my lola who jumps at every opportunity to arrange parties at home, I, in turn, prefer dining out or just coffee at Starbucks with family and closest friends. I prefer several small get-togethers than one big party. My motto has always been to be completely relaxed and happy on my special day, while surrounding myself with loved-ones and friends.

So for this year, birthday plans are already underway.

1. Luckily, my birthday this year falls on Easter Sunday, so I feel doubly-blessed! Since its going to be on a Sunday, i'll be spending it with family and relatives over a simple lunch or dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. And since its my birthday, Arvin has allowed me to pick which one! Woohoo!

2. My office friends and I have been forever planning to go to Enchanted Kingdom but never gotten around to doing so (that, plus dancing lessons, cooking lessons, French lessons, go on an out of town trip, etc. hehe). So finally, it's settled, that on my birthday we're going to EK and celebrate my turning 27 with some kiddie fun! Can't wait!

3. When my college bestfriend, Rachel, and I decided to go out of town next weekend, it wasn't really for my birthday, but it was to detoxify and de-stress ourselves from our hectic lives in the city. But since it will be near my birthday, I'm going to count this one too! So together with good friends, Gail and Chichi, we'll be going to Batangas for that much needed "just-us-girls" vacation. Ah, glorious girl bonding session here we come!

4. Jerome and I haven't really planned on anything yet but I know I want it to be quiet, simple and just us. It seems like for the past few weeks either we've been studying or stressing about work, so it would be nice to getaway from it all for a while and just spend quality time with each other.

That's about it for now. I have yet to make plans with my highschool friends though. So Chiqui and Susan, any ideas?

Life Changing by Arvin John Serrano

2008-03-08T09:22:00.001+08:00

I just want to share with you guys my brother's latest blog entry on his experience during their school's outreach program at Bilibid Prison. I'm proud of him for being able to feel and capture the essence of the activity. He willingly and unselfishly reached out to his inmate friend, Kuya Fernando. I hope his batchmates in Bene have learned a lot from this activity too, just like how life changing it was for Arvin.

Kudos to Bene for continuing to have enriching programs such as this!

And I hope this touches your heart, the way it has touched mine.

**********************

Life Changing by Arvin John Serrano

I was lazily seated on the tiled floor with my back rested to the door of the Prefect of Activities Office. I never thought that by the end of the day, my perspective about something would change completely.

My academic life in Bene was finally over, and the next twenty four days or so would just be spent to complete our clearance and rehearse for graduation. Today was our outreach activity. We were supposed to leave for the National Bilibid Prison at 7am, but at around 9, we were still stuck in school because of a miscommunication for our transportation.

For many reasons, I wasn't too keen on going to this outreach activity. Knowing my batch, I thought that some of us would just use this opportunity to do some kalokohan and so the very essence of the outreach would be lost because of the sermon we would be getting from Mr. Caballero afterwards. Second, I just thought that having a convicted criminal face-to-face with you would be frightening. Plus, I wasn't sure if it was right for me to ask how he got thrown in jail.

When we arrived, it was surprising to note that the Bilibid actually had a peaceful ambiance, nestled in a huge plain filled with trees and creeks. The only clue that we were near a prison was the two layers of barbed wire fence that enclosed the perimeter of the compound.

When we got inside the gates, the first thing I noticed was that the compound was very clean and the air was really fresh. We were greeted with smiles from men wearing white shirts. One wouldn't even think that they were inmates if their shirts didn't have a small print that said INMATE on their left chests.

We were assigned to go to an educational facility, the Muntinlupa National Extension High School (NEHS). We got into a large classroom and took our seats on clean monobloc armchairs. The program started with a prayer, and followed by a powerpoint of the NEHS' accomplishments for the year 2007. It was followed by a medley of all-time favorite lovesongs by their Glee Club, where they gave out flowers to our classmates (kinilig si hanboreum. haha!) and then they also sang Bilangguang Walang Rehas, complete with dialogues about the lives of the inmates. Lastly, their High School Dancers took the dance floor to the tune of a hiphop song. All the numbers, especially the two from the glee club, were well rehearsed and really conveyed a message for us.

Finally, it was time for us to interact with our partner inmate. The inmates lined up the chairs in columns of two, face-to-face. We lined up and took our seats first, while the inmates sit on the second column afterwards. There, I met Kuya Fernando. At first, both Jayson and I were assigned to him because the chairs were disarranged and Jayson didn't have a chair facing him. But after a while, he was already given his own partner.

In a span of about forty five minutes, I got to know a lot of things about the life of being a detainee at the Bilibid. I asked Kuya Fernando why he was thrown in jail and he told me that he had killed somebody and that he had been inside for the last six years. His sentence required him ten to twelve years. I did not ask him to elaborate much on the crime he committed, but I was rather interested with the state of his life ever since he came in Munti.

He talked to me how every prisoner interested would be given a directive where he can choose whether he would want to study or work. The institution actually offered elementary, high school and college education, aside from the six-month vocational courses. Kuya, just like me, was a high school senior - but in his late thirties. He told me that he'd be graduating during the first week of April. He also joked about how it was lucky for him that he got thrown in jail because he has got free schooling from that, unlike the rest of us who needed to pay a lot for our education.

I also learned new "prison terms, " but it was unfortunate that I don't remember any of them anymore. Haha. The only thing I remembered was talipapa which was already common, even for us in the free world. He also shared to me how the Bilibid has become more peaceful now and that the riots we saw in TV or the movies were unrealistic. Ever since the management imposed an order that an inmate will not hurt his co-detainee, unless he wants to get killed, the atmosphere has become more quiet for the past years. And those who attempted to escape from the prison walls will likewise, not be able to come back alive.

I guess the saddest part of our conversation was when he told me that he only gets visits from his family once a year because they did not have enough money to travel from Batangas to spend time with him. And I cannot even think how depressing it had been for him for the past six years, spending Christmas and his birthdays alone. He told me this, "Hindi ko nalang iniisip yung mga negative, basta para sakin palaging positive lang yung iniisip ko."

He told me that their only happiness during Christmas is when they sing on the videoke machine and forget all the pain and loneliness they feel. He explained also to me that he and his fellow inmates post their addresses on newspapers, hoping that someone would write to them and become penpals. When someone writes, then they would convince that person (I'm assuming women) to come by and visit them, just to alleviate the longingness they feel for their loved ones.

While eating our one-piece Chickenjoy and Coke for lunch, we were signaled to give out our gifts to our partners. Mine was two Cattleya notebooks, two black pens, a toothbrush, a blue Close-Up toothpaste, half a bar of Tide and a green safeguard in a plastic pack.

Kuya and I got more personal. He asked me, "Naniniwala ka ba na ang lahat ng masasamang tao may natitira pang kabutihan sa loob nila?" I answered, "Opo." He countered and said, "Ako hindi naniniwala. Kasi para sa'kin ang lahat ng tao likas na mabubuti. Ang iniisip lang kasi ng iba yung masamang ginawa nya, pero hindi nila naiisip yung rason kung bakit nila nagawa yun. Ako nagawa ko lang naman yun sa sobrang kahirapan."

Towards the end of our meeting, Kuya gave me pieces of advice, "Lagi kang makikinig sa mga magulang mo. Kasi minsan akala natin hindi nila tayo naiintindihan pero ang totoo naman ang gusto lang nila yung mabuti sa'tin." He explained that he rebelled against his father because he thought that he did not care for him. I added, "Wala namang magulang na naghahangad ng masama para sa anak nila."

He also warned me against bad influences because it was what gained him nothing but trouble. "Basta pipilian mo lang lagi yung mga barkada mo."

When we were about to leave, Kuya Fernando took out the notebook I gave him and told me, "Mag-sign ka." He gave me a multi-colored pen and using blue ink I wrote,

Kuya Fernando,

Salamat po sa lahat ng tinuro mo sa'kin. Dahil sa'yo, naging bukas ang isipan ko sa buhay ng mga bilanggo tulad mo. Salamat! -Arvin

He then took the notebook and started to scribble at the back page. While writing, he asked me again for my name and I showed him my ID. When finally he was done, he tore the part of the paper where he wrote gave it to me. It contained the address of his dormitory and a message that read,

Fernando M. Javier

Student Dorm 1-A

Camp Sampaguita

Muntinlupa City

1776

Arvin,

Maraming salamat sa konting panahon at oras na ibinigay mo sa akin. Kahit paano, para narin akong dinalaw. Salamat...

Kya Fernando

I thanked him for it and he answered me, "Sulat ka ha." And I vowed to myself that I will. Afterwards, he excused himself and sat with Lia, who was sitting by herself because her partner went somewhere else.

At this point, the student council president told us, "Sana po sa paglabas nyo dito, maging ambassadors of goodwill kayo para sa'min. Na sana sabihin nyo sa mga tao sa labas kung ano yung mga natutunan nyo dito sa'min at ang buhay namin dito."

The emcee, also an inmate, then closed the activity by telling us a story, "Napanaginipan po namin na darating kayo dito, mga taga-San Beda. Tapos sa pagdalaw nyo raw dito, namatay tayong lahat. Pagdating natin sa langit, nakasalubong natin si San Pedro. Ang sabi nya, isang grupo lang daw ang pwedeng pumasok sa langit, at yung isa naman mapupunta sa hell - yung grupo ng taga-San Beda o yung grupo ng mga inmate. Kaming mga inmate, pinili naming mapunta nalang sa hell... Kasi po sa pagbisita nyo sa'min ngayon, ginawa nyo pong para na rin kaming nasa langit."

On that final note, we were asked to stand and say goodbye to each other. Coming from beside Lia, Kuya Fernando walked to me and we shook hands for the last time. "Basta goodluck sa'yo ha. Alalahanin mo lahat ng sinabi ko sa'yo."

Before I finally left the room, Kuya asked me, "May babalik pa ba na next batch sa inyo? Kasi kung meron baka pwede kang magpadala ng sulat." I told him that we were already graduating and that the next batch would be for next year already. But I promised him that I would mail him a letter.

I raised a hand to gesture my last farewell and walked out of that room with my classmates -- to go back again and face my own world --- a world that is different from the one I spent time in for the past few hours --- a world that was once their own, as well.

When we were walking towards the gate that separated these two worlds, I still saw those familiar smiling faces everywhere, just like when I came in here earlier that morning.As I stared onto those faces, I didn't feel pity towards any of them, instead I felt the radiating hope that was coming from their hearts. And as the iron gates closed behind me, I knew that I was never going to look at Bilibid the same way again.

Tidbits

2008-02-26T17:56:00.001+08:00

My mom managed to get an Abu Dhabi visa! Woohoo! I'm so happy! Welcome home Mommy! We missed you!

**********

Things were super hectic at work today, plus I had to rush to the bank during my lunch break to pay for my mom's visa application fee. As a result, I ate my lunch at 6 p.m.

**********

I think I acquired some bad toxins from the shawarma Jerome and I ate on our way home. Or was it from the sago? I'm feeling nauseous. Blech.

**********

I bought a nice velvet jacket from my officemate today, which in turn only cost me 500 pesoses. Saya! Can't wait to use it!

**********

Yun lang, that pretty much sums up my day. Here's to wishing that tomorrow will be a brighter and much less hectic day!

My Not-So-Uneventful Saturday

2008-02-23T20:48:00.001+08:00

I woke up at 9 am today, had breakfast and watched The Prestige on HBO. I know the movie was good and would have enjoyed it if I wasn't dozing off every couple of minutes. I was sooooo sleepy *yawns* Although I saw how the movie ended, I think I was only able to watch excerpts of it. Sayang.

After the movie, I went back to my room and slept again until 2:30 pm. I would have slept even more had Jerome not called to say na mag-aral na daw kami at susunduin niya ko in an hour. *groans* Okay fine, makabangon na nga. Ako din naman ang nagsabing mag-aral kami today.

But it turned out, he picked me up 2 hours later. Nahiga daw ulit siya after calling me and had his car tires checked and vulcanized (which was loooong overdue). It was totally fine with me since after getting up from bed, I had lunch, watched some Wowowee, checked my e-mails and went blog hopping. I visited this blog which I ended up reading for an hour. The writer is the wife of Kenneth's friend. He was actually the one who introduced the site to me. Good read, her entries were very honest and sincere.

After picking me up, sinamahan ko muna si Jerome to have lunch at Vibang's It's a popular turo-turo place inside BF Resort. They serve a wide variety of home-cooked Pinoy food at in fairness, it tastes good and the place is clean. We ordered sinampalukang manok, liempo and inihaw na talong. Yes, I ate again. It was around 5 pm na din naman so I said to myself, after-six diet ito. Haha.

FINALLY, at around 6 pm, we got down to business and opened our books at Figaro. I don't know, but for some reason, I just didn't feel like studying today. But since Jerome was so bent on reading the chapter on COPD and Diabetes, na-force na din ako...which is a good thing actually. If he was as lazy as me today, we might have ended up just watching DVDs at home.

Feeling very proud of ourselves (we studied for three hours!), we treated ourselves to a nice movie, the Martian Child. It was a feel-good movie. I had a nice cathartic cry towards the end. Hihi.

I thought this day was pretty much uneventful but at around midnight I got a call from my mom, saying that she was already at the Abu Dhabi airport but was having trouble getting a visa. Her flights were supposed to be Kabul-Abi Dhabi-Manila. She thought that she could get a visa on arrival. If she won't be able to get a visa in Abu Dhabi, she would have to buy another plane ticket which will travel Dubai-Manila (she has a Dubai visa).

So here I am, at 2 am, anxiously waiting for an update from my mom. And this entry is the result of me trying to stay awake.

I hope things work out for my mom. *sigh*

And I hope to get enough sleep for tomorrow's mass.

Thank You!

2008-02-19T18:12:00.001+08:00

I was down with the flu over the weekend and has not been feeling up to par since (I think I sang too much during last Friday's KTV session). I didn't go to the office yesterday to rest a bit more and almost didn't make it to work again today, as I was still feeling a little dizzy this morning. Pero buti na lang pumasok ako kasi I received two very nice things today! Yey!

1. Rachel and I had our respective wishlists for Christmas. She wanted laptop sleeves, while I wished for a pair of Havaianas. After ten years, finally, I received my over-priced slippers today! And it was just the color that I wanted! Thanks mare! I love them!

2. Our office issued me a new computer today - equipped with a 17-inch LCD screen! I won't go into the specs as I absolutely have no knowledge on computers. Basta maganda siya tignan. Period.

Thank you Papa Merck! And many thanks too to our IT guy, Lloyd, for making sure that I get my new computer today. Again, I love it!

For lack of a better post...

2008-02-17T07:06:00.001+08:00

TOP TEN TEN THINGS ABOUT ME..

1. Are you single? -- In a wonderful relationship.
2. Are you happy about that? -- Super!
3. Are you bored? -- A little, I'm stuck here at home nursing a cold.
4. Are you sad? -- Thankfully, I'm not.
5. Are you Italian? -- Pure Filipino itetch!
6. Are you plastic? -- If there's one thing about me, I'm too transparent. Sometimes to a fault.
8. Are you cool? -- Siguro naman, hehe.
9. Are you Chinese? -- See answer number 5.
10.What are you? -- A woman with very little needs. Hehe.

TEN FACTS

1. Initials -- MNSG
2. Nicknames -- Mara, Mars, Ma
3. Birth place -- Quezon City
4. Hair color -- Dark brown
5. Hair style -- simple shoulder-length hair, nothing fancy.
6. Eye color -- Dark Brown
7. Birthday -- March 23
8. Mood -- Sick, I have colds and a slight fever.
9. Favorite color -- Green
10. Left or right handed -- Right-handed

TEN THIS OR THAT

1. Love or money? -- Love
2. Hard liquor or beer? -- Beer for social drinking
3. Cats or dogs? -- Dogs
4. A few best friends or many regular friends? -- Few best friends
5. Television or Internet? -- Both
6. Pepsi or coke? -- Coke
7. Wild night out or romantic night in? -- romantic night in
8. Money or Happiness? -- Happiness
9. Night or day? -- Night
10. AIM or phone? -- Phone

TEN HAVE YOU EVER

1. Been caught sneaking out -- I have never sneaked out. Does that make me a loser?
2. Been skinny dipping? -- No
3. Done something you regret-- Not really, although sometimes you would want to turn back time and do things differently.
4. Bungee jumped? -- Because of my fear of heights, bungee jumping is something I don't think I can ever do.
6. Finished an entire jaw breaker? -- Yup, is that something to be proud of? Hehe.
7. Changed a diaper? -- Yup, my brother's!
8. Wanted an ex back? -- No, when you break up there's no turning back.
9. Cried because you lost a pet? -- Yup, it was Jerome's dog actually. But I was the one who gave it to him. So there. :(
10. Wanted to disappear? -- I have my days. Hehe.

TEN PREFERENCES IN A RELATIONSHIP

1. Smile or eyes: -- Smile
2. Light or dark hair: -- Dont care
3. Hugs or kisses: -- Both!
4. Intelligence or attraction? -- Attraction to his personality
5. Hook-up or relationship -- Relationship
6. Trust or love?: -- Trust and love both come hand in hand
7. Long distance or close? - Close!
8. Call or text? : -- Both
9. Older or younger? : Older pero wag naman sobra. 1 - 5 years is A-ok.
10.Looks or Personality: -- Personality

TEN LAST

1. Last phone call you made : -- Jerome
2. Last phone call you received: -- Jerome
3. Last person/people you hung out with? - Jerome at Mocha Blends
4. Last person to text you: -- Jerome pa rin, to say goodnight.
5. Last person you tackled?: -- None
6. Last person you im'd?: -- My mom (through YM)
7 Last person you talked to?: -- Arvin and Lola
8. Last person you hugged? -- Jerome
9. Last person you slept with? -- Arvin, my brother and Baron, our dog.

I can't believe they lost...

2008-02-14T17:37:00.003+08:00

I can't believe Marc and Rovilson lost The Amazing Race Asia Season 2!!!

These guys have been first almost the entire race! They only came in second twice! And it all boiled down to the LAST road block. The LAST task of arranging the flags of the different countries that they went to during the race in order. The LAST flag which Rovilson could not make out. It was the flag of Hong Kong for crying out loud! Argh, it's so frustrating!!!

I swear, after the episode, Jerome, Arvin and I stared at the credits for a solid 20 seconds. We were dumb founded. We were confused. We were nearly in tears.

And to finish third??? Where's the justice in that?

Post Christmas Dinner with Friends

2008-02-10T18:38:00.002+08:00

Finally, my office friends and I had our post-christmas shindig last January 18. We all met up at Bonifacio High Street and hanged out at Starbucks for three hours while doing Kokology and learning more about each others' personalities (wink at Noemi...hehe).

Kokology happy @ Starbucks

Serious Kokology Session

Three hours and several psychological games after, we headed off to Serendra for dinner. We initially wanted to eat at Zao but had to settle for Polu Kai because the latter was packed, and thus had no tables available. But we weren't sorry we ate at Polu Kai, because their food was absolutely delicious! We ordered spicy shrimps, calamari, chicken and ribs and their special hawaiian fried rice. Their food is reasonably priced and the service was very good.

After dinner, we had our traditional gift-giving. It has also been our tradition to come up with individual Christmas wish lists at siyempre, we got the stuff that we wished for! Yipee! The gifts were a pair of Havaianas for Noemi, a shirt for Dada, a Kokology book for Tricia, Best of 100 Love Songs CD for Miel and Paulo Coehlo's Witch of Portobello for me.

And as usual, to cap off the night, we went to Music Match for some hard-core KTV! Surprisingly, it was a slow night for Dada, our resident singer, as Tricia and I hogged the mic most of the time. Hehe. We belted out a variety of songs- from Fergalicious, to Claire dela Fuente's Sayang and Timmy Cruz' I Love You Boy. Hahaha.

To Tricia, Miel, Noemi and Dada: I've been blessed to have found true friends at work. Thank you for the gift of friendship! :)

My First Baking Experience

2008-02-08T21:07:00.001+08:00

I wish I can gush and write how succesful and delicious my first-ever creation was...but apparently, baking is not as easy as it looks. Lalo na kung yung brand-new oven mo ay hindi umiinit. Hay, Arvin and I were so psyched in baking those oh-so-perfect peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies only to find out that our oven was not working.

And we only found out when we've already molded our cookie batter and placed them on baking pans. Bummer.

But looking back, hindi din naman perfect yung cookie mixture namin. I had to call Miel twice, panicking. Kasi naman, the batter was forming clumps and was not the smooth mixture the recipe was referring to. And Jerome had to rub it in by commenting, "Bakit parang champorado?" Argh!!!

But Miel reassured me that as long as I would still be able to mold my batter into cookies, I was doing perfectly fine. Go lang daw. Ok, so go na ulit kami. After a few minutes of mixing, the batter began to get oily...as in really oily. Panicking, I called Miel again and she explained na baka naman its because of the peanut butter that we used. Go pa rin daw. Basta i-mold ko yung cookies at ipasok sa oven.

Yun lang, when we opened the oven door, hindi mainit yung loob! As in I can touch the wire rack without getting myself first-degree burns. Kamusta naman?!

So, I have to put off learning how to bake and have decided learn to cook na lang muna. Hmm, what should I cook kaya? Any suggestions?

Chef Mara???

2008-01-25T13:03:00.001+08:00

One of the things I love doing is pouring over cookbooks and food magazines and thinking that one day I wish I could cook them all . . . or at least just one measly recipe of let's say, chicken adobo. Yes, I don't know how to cook. Although I know how to fry fish and chicken, but does that even count? I DO know how to cook rice. At in fairness kahit hindi gumagamit ng rice cooker. But aside from that, nothing. Not one dish that I can be proud of. Ano na lang ang ipapakain ko sa magiging asawa at mga anak ko? Pritong isda at manok? Hotdog?

I feel like the clock is ticking for me and my cooking ambitions. Not that I'm getting married any time soon or is planning to have my own family in the next year or so. I just feel like at 26, dapat marunong ka na magluto. Di ba?

So one of my New Year's resolution for 2008 is to learn how to cook and to bake. No ifs, no buts. (My lola will be sooooo proud of me. Hehe.)

The first step that I took towards my goal is to buy my very own copy of Yummy magazine. Hinihiram ko lang kasi kay Miel yung mga binabasa ko dati. Hehe.

Next was to ask Miel for help. FYI, Miel bakes very well. She makes super delicious revel bars and apple walnut cakes. She lent me a copy of her baking cookbook. She advised me to start with cookies and work my way up. Since I didn't have one single equipment for baking, she promised to lend me her electric mixer. Kasi she has three naman daw. Sosyal. Hehe.

Hopefully, I'd be able to start learning how to cook this weekend or the next. Will post pictures of my very first creation.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-11T11:41:00.001+08:00

A Happy and Wacky New Year from the Serrano-Zozobrado Family!
(L-R: Me, Tita Evan, my Mom, our Lola, Tito Butch, my brother Arvin and cousin Kaye)

UP Diliman

2007-12-09T14:01:00.001+08:00

Since Jerome and I had to do an errand that took us to Commonwealth Avenue, we decided to stop by at UP Diliman for some relaxing time and lunch at Mang Jimmy's. Honestly, I have only been to UP Diliman maybe 6-7 times in my entire life, counting the one time that I took the UPCAT. So I have never gotten used to this place' lush greens and huge trees. I so love it! Makes you forget that you're actually in the city.

Posing for the camera ala-turistas.

Obviously, Jerome loves this place too.

More turista pictures.
Oooh!

Even dirty ice cream tastes better in UP Diliman. =)

Chocolat

2007-08-30T12:37:00.001+08:00

We discovered a really nice cafe at the Mall of Asia called Chocolat. From their glass window, you can see on display samples of their delicious-looking cakes. It was more than enough to entice us to walk in and try them out! We ordered their Deep Dark Chocolate and Choco Hazelnut Cake. The cakes' sweetness were just right, not the kind that makes you dizzy after just one bite (that sounded like a rhyme...hehe). Plus the chocolate glazing on top is to die for! We also ordered coffee to go with it. I had the hot mocha which I think they used tablea for the choco flavor. Since I was a big fan of cocoa, I loved the rich chocolatey taste of my cofee. Ahh, heaven! The perfect dessert to cap off the perfect evening with good friends. *smiles*

Noemi, Tricia and I with our yummy cakes!

Still at Chocolat with Miel and Tricia
Extremely high levels of sugar = Laugh trip for the duration of the night (hehe)

Missing Mom

2007-08-23T12:25:00.001+08:00

It has been three weeks since my mom left the country to work abroad and now, the house feels a lot emptier without her.

If I had my way, I would have preferred that my mom stayed here in the Philippines. I know that inspite of our financial struggles, she was happy here. She loved her job and her colleagues, she enjoys after-office drinks with her friends and more importantly, her family is here and this is her home.

And aside from missing her presence around the house, it doesn't help that the country she's working in right now is not the safest place in the world. Hay!

But I have faith that God is looking out for her. His presence have always been felt by our family and I have no doubt that He will continue to be there for us.

I terribly, terribly miss my mom. I miss riding to work with her and her endless stories in the morning. Kahit na antok na antok pa ko and all I can do is nod and grunt. Haha. I miss hanging out with her on Sundays, eating Eaji and drinking Coke after hearing mass. I miss watching The Buzz with her as we listen to the latest showbiz stories or just simply marvel at Kris' clothes and pa-sosyal antics (but we love Kris anyway). I miss the gourmet sandwiches that she makes for my baon. I think even Baron, our Japanese spitz, misses his morning walks with my mom during weekends. I just miss every little thing about her.

But I know she went through with this for me, Arvin and Lola. Being a single parent isn't easy and she had to make sacrifices. And with that, I am very proud of her.

Friday Triple Celebration

2007-08-16T10:28:00.001+08:00

Two Fridays ago, we celebrated three wonderful occasions - Jerome's passing the boards, Tricia's birthday and Dada's birthday. We had dinner at Aling Tonya's at Dampa, Macapagal and feasted on Chili Garlic Shrimp, Baked Tahong, Ginataang Hipon, Crabs, Lato (seaweeds), and steamed oysters. Yum, yum! After that, off we went to Music Match for 3 hours of glorious KTV bonding!

I love this picture! I look genuinely happy. :)

Binondo, Here We Come!

2007-08-10T12:48:00.002+08:00

I learned about the Big Binondo Food Wok as I was browsing through hopeful realist’s blog. As she recounted the places they went to and the food that they ate, I knew that I just had to go there and try it out for myself!

Sparked by curiosity, I googled about it and found out that the Big Binondo Food Wok is a tour conducted by a group known as Old Manila Walks. In their website, they describe themselves as a bunch of “passionate, obsessive and saucy ‘street walkers’(!) determined to walk and talk about one thing: the history, the culture and the heritage plus everything over, under, outside, inside this city of our affections - Manila.”

Aside from going around Chinatown, they also do tours of Intramuros, San Miguel(where the Malacanang is), Chinese Cemetery and the Far Eastern University.

Since I was so excited to go on this walk, my office mates and I contacted Old Manila Walks right away and booked our reservations for Sept. 8. In the meantime, I would just have to satisfy myself with these pictures courtesy of Market Manila.

I can't wait to nibble my way around Chinatown . . .

and try this delicious-looking fried-rice...

and have a bite of this amazing lumpia stuffed to gills with vegetables, seaweed, noodles, etc.

and sample this famed Binondo dumplings...

visit a tablea factory...

and lastly, taste this Taiwanese cold noodles with vegetables and peanut/sesame sauce.

Ahhh, heaven! Will post as soon as I try this sumptuous food for myself!

Of Pseudo-Relationships, Flings and Mutual Understandings

2007-08-06T10:36:00.001+08:00

My friend, who is going through a pseudo-relationship at the moment, gave this very interesting article to me. I have been through these kind of relationships during a few points in my life. The uncertainty of things is fun and exciting. But at the end of the day, you begin to wonder - how long is this going to last? May gusto ba talaga siya sakin or is he just being nice? Am I investing too much on this? Am I assuming and reading too much between the lines? And the endless barrage of questions and stream of thoughts come pouring in, leaving you depressed and longing for that flicker of hope that things are going to happen the way you want them to be.

So for those who are going through this "parang kayo, pero hindi" stage, may find this article very fitting. And for those who are fortunate enough to have not gone through this, read on and you might learn a thing or two. :)

P.S. I still believe there are pseudo-relationships that can evolve into more serious and committed ones. Just the idealist in me talking. Hehe.

*********************

She is a 24-year old copywriter. He is an architect. They met and
became lovers in college. They broke up last year but remained to be
"friends."

They send sweet text messages and he calls her often to make sure she's okay. They still date. They still have sex. They don't see anyone else. It is obvious that they still love each other but when asked about their situation, she doesn't know the real score. Even her friends are in the dark. "Parang sila, pero hindi."

She works in a telecom. He is reviewing for the board. They are in the same barkada. They talk on the phone till 4 am. He gives her chocolates, flowers and CDs even when there is no occasion. Their friends are suspecting something. Bakit sila nagsosolo kapag may overnight inuman? Why does he hold her close on the dance floor? Bakit sila magkaholding hands lagi? Sila kaya? "He hasn't admitted anything," she rants. "But I let him hug and kiss me.Parang kami, pero hindi."

They work together in an ad agency. After office, they would watch movie, have dinner and stroll at Glorietta. She gave him Harry Potter books for his birthday in exchange for posing as her boyfriend to make an ex jealous. They made out during the company outing in Subic and never talked about it. He said "I love you" once but she wasn't sure if she heard him correctly because they were both drunk then. But one thing she is sure of is her feelings for him. She likes him. And she's assuming that with what he's doing to her and with her, he likes her, too. There's just one hitch:
he has a girlfriend!

She is a 28-year-old virgin. He's a 35-year-old bachelor. Both mountaineers, they became close during their climbs. After a few dates in posh restaurants, he brings her to his condo where they would make out. They have been doing this for months. She wants to believe that "sila na" but then she's not really sure about it. "We don't talk about it but it doesn't really matter," she'd tell her friends. "What's important is I am enjoying this -- whatever it is."

The "parang kayo, pero hindi" stage. Others call it MU or mutual understanding. Pseudo-relationships. Pseudo-boyfriends. Flings. Almost like a relationship, but not quite. It is a phase where the persons involved are more than friends, but not quite lovers. Puwedeng may verbal agreement, puwedeng wala. One or both of you may have admitted your feelings, possible ding hindi. You just let your gestures do the talking for you. Walang pormal na ligawan na nangyari. Hindi kayo mag-dyowa. Pero sa
kilos niyo, sa mga sinasabi niyo, parang kayo, pero hindi.

This kind of "relationship" can happen at different stages for different reasons. It can happen after a break-up. You still love each other, and you want to be with each other but you broke up for a reason. And for reasons that you alone know, ayaw niyo na muna magkabalikan. It can also happen before a relationship, iyong pareho kayong nakikiramdam. Possible din na ayaw niyo munang mag-seryoso kaya kunwa-kunwarian lang
muna. Testing lang.

Puwede ring hindi puwedeng maging kayo kasi isa sa inyo --usually the guy --may ka-relasyon na. Kaya habang hindi pa siya nakikipag-break doon sa girl (sabi niya makikipag-break siya soon pero di naman niya ginagawa), wala muna kayong relasyon para nga naman hindi siya nangagaliwa kasi "hindi naman kayo."

This pseudo-relationship stage, for a time, can be fun. Lalo na kung naghahanap ka lang naman ng "kalaro."

Pero huwag ka lang mag-e-expect na may patutunguhan kayo kasi wala talagang kasiguraduhan.

So bakit ang daming nagse-settle sa ganitong set up ganoong hindi naman sigurado kung may patutunguhan?

Iba't ibang dahilan. Puwedeng for fun lang. Puwedeng "buti na iyan kesa wala" or puwede na iyang "pantawid-gutom." Meaning, habang wala pa iyong the real thing, doon muna sa kunwa-kunwarian.

For those who are not in a serious relationship, they would think that pseudo-relationship is better than no relationship at all. It would be fun, if all you are after for is that "kilig" feeling.

Aminado naman ako na once upon a time, may mga pseudo-relationships din ako. No commitments involved. For the simplest reason that they couldn't commit, because they were either committed to someone else, or that they weren't ready to commit.

My rationalization, "okay na iyun, kesa wala."

Ang habol ko lang naman, iyong kilig feeling. Iyong merong nagtatanong kung kumusta araw ko. Iyong merong ka-cuddle sa beach outing. Iyong kapag tumunog ang cellphone, mapapangiti na ako dahil alam kong galing sa kanya ang message. Iyong merong laging kasama. Habang wala pa ang the real thing, puwede na itong pagtiyagaan.

But then I learned that although it was only a pseudo-relationship, the emotions were real. And usually, in this kind of set up, ang babae lagi ang lugi.

Una, you can't ask him to commit. Since it's not really a relationship, you can't demand commitment from your partner. Ano ba kayo? May K ka nga ba magpasundo ng hatinggabi? You will always be uncertain about your role in his life. You can't expect him to be always there with you. And if you feel jealous of the other girls, you just have to keep it to yourself. Ano ka ba niya para magselos?

Pangalawa, what if you fall deeply in love with him? You can't be sure if he feels the same way. Baka nag-a-assume ka lang na mahal ka rin niya. Even if you are dying to tell him you love him, you can't. Because you're not sure if he'll like it. Baka mapahiya ka lang. This stage will always make you wonder where you are in the relationship. Or if there is a relationship at all.

Pangatlo, what if you become attached too much? What if you have invested all your emotions and this man hasn't? What if you remain faithful to him, not entertaining other guys, only to find out that he is seeing other girls?

Isa pang downside ng pseudo-relationships, it is fleeting. When a disagreement sets in, or when one of you gets cold, then that would be the end of it. Unlike in a serious relationship, hindi mo alam kung saan ka lulugar sa isang pseudo-relationship. Wala kang pinanghahawakan. Kasi sa pseudo-relationship, there is no "us." Meron lang "you and me," hindi "us."

Buti sana kung pseudo-pain din lang ang mararanasan mo. Kaso, hindi eh. Real pain. And usually, kahit tapos na ang pseudo-relationship, hindi mo maiwasan umasang one day, may karugtong pa rin iyun. And you will be miserable, hoping to bring back what you used to have, only to find out eventually that the guy is in another pseudo-relationship with somebody else.

Ang hirap, ano? You agreed to this kind of set up for fun and then you'd end up hurting yourself in the process.

Pero puwede naman maiwasan ang pain eh. Puwede naman na hindi mo muna isipin ang future and just enjoy the feeling, without thinking of the consequences.

But if you are certain that you are going to hurt yourself in the process,kailangan mo mamili. You can be happy and live the moment without worrying what would happen next. Or you can stop settling with pseudo-relationshipsand wait for the real thing.

When I was younger and in a pseudo-relationship with an unavailable guy, afriend told me, "Sige, kung ayaw mong magpapigil, bahala ka.Magpakasaya ka.Pero huwag kang iiyak-iyak pagkatapos, dahil tatadyakan kita."

Ang bottom line lang naman, kung magpapasaya sa iyo, gawin mo. Ihanda mo lang ang sarili mo sa consequence. Dahil ang "parang kayo pero hindi" stage ay bihirang nagiging totoo. Usually, hanggang doon lang siya… almost, but not quite.

Stress Level

2007-07-20T18:26:00.001+08:00

Got this from Chiqui. With all the physical and emotional stress wearing me down these days, I wanted to know how I'm holding up so far.

Your Stress Level is: 57%

You are somewhat prone to stress, especially when life gets hard.When things are good, you resist stressing over little problems.But when things are difficult, you tend to freak out and find it hard to calm down.

Hmm, not bad but not too good either. . . which again leaves me longing for a real vacation. Hay...

Life and Its Ups and Downs

2007-07-14T20:33:00.001+08:00

My good friend Dada was able to put in one sentence how our lives are right now. As she posted in Friendster, "Could it get any crazier than this?!". *sigh*

A lot has been going on in my life and with the lives of the people around me. I wish I could say that it's all good, but sadly it's not. Although when I look at how things are, I feel that this is the way it should be. And I'm glad that we realized this before it was too late.

Along the course of our life, we meet new people. It can be in school, at work, in a coffee shop or in bars. Some become our friends, some we hit off with instantly, while some become merely acquaintances. But when do we decide to be friends with these people? What do we see in them that want us to get to know them better? And how certain are we that these friends are true?

Furthermore, what do you do when you get betrayed by a friend? Would you forgive her or would you turn your back and walk away?

In an ideal world, forgiving would be the first thing to come to mind. But there are times that walking away is the best thing to do. To prevent further pain, this is what I did. I turned my back and walked away. WE walked away. Not everyone would understand our decision, and some may even think of us as villains in this situation. But frankly, I don't care. They don't know what happened and what we went through.

We're better off without her. Right, Dada?

**************************

For happier news, Jerome and Chichi passed the Pharmacy Licensure Exam!!! Congratulations to the both of you! After all the hardships of college and the sleepless nights studying for the boards, you guys made it! I'm so proud of you!

**************************

And lastly, I badly need to get out of Manila and have a real vacation. I'm too stressed out. Physically and emotionally. I just want to escape all the craziness for a while. Hint, hint Jerome. *winks*

On Wendy and PBB

2007-06-30T10:56:00.001+08:00

I just realized that it's been more than a month since I wrote an entry here. I have been super duper busy the past few weeks! Between work and studying, I cannot find the time (and the energy) to connect to the net when I get home or even during weekends. Parang feeling ko waste of time to surf the net pag may free time ako. I'd rather catch up on sleep or on episodes of PBB. Hahaha.

Speaking of PBB, what's up with Wendy? She keeps on saying na nagpapakatotoo lang siya kasi pinapakita niya kung anong nafi-feel niya. While Gee-ann and Bea are "plastik" because they can't seem to fight back. According to Wendy, these two are playing it safe for the viewers to like them and eventually vote for them. But is "pagiging totoo" synonymous to not respecting others? Or paninira for that matter? I recall one conversation of Wendy with Mickey, when she said that Gee-ann is just using him and Bodie to get the public's interest. Because Gee-ann's doll, Pamela, wasn't a hit with the viewers. Tama ba yun?

And now Wendy is part of the BIG FOUR. And ABS-CBN's integrity and credibility is being questioned because of her. And I don't believe that she received enough votes for her to be part of the winning group. But what I do believe is that in one way or another, the results were rigged. Its just frustrating that after spending a lot on voting for your favorite housemate, you'll realize that in the end, it doesn't really matter. Because the stone has already been cast for the winner. And we all know who SHE is.

Best Wishes Jen!

2007-05-26T22:44:00.002+08:00

We attended Jen and Jayson's wedding last Saturday at the historic Barasoain Church. Since Jen was the first to wed in our barkada, you can just imagine how happy and excited we were for her big day.

Two weeks before the wedding, we threw a bridal shower for her with an intimate dinner at Super Bowl with her sisters and close friends. Our theme for the gifts was "Pamper the Bride". So, we gave her all sorts of stuff that would make her feel comfortable before, during and after the wedding. I gave her cocoa butter lotion to prevent or at least minimize the stretch marks that may arise after giving birth and some spa goodies that she can use at home. Siyempre, dapat fabulous wife and mom ito! Haha. She also received a beautiful nightie from Rach, a Body Shop loot bag from Tet, a relaxing eye mask from Kat, and make-up from her sister, Cel.

On her wedding day, Jen was the perfect epitome of happiness and contentment. As she was walking down the aisle, I couldn't help but be emotional. I was soooooo happy for them both because I know that it is with each other that they found love, peace, happiness, and contentment.

Congratulations and Best Wishes to Jayson and Jen! Here's to many many years of love, good health, success, and beautiful children! Cheers!

For more pictures, click here.

Simple Joys

2007-05-26T22:14:00.002+08:00

After a long day at work and running errands after it, Jerome and I treated ourselves to a nice dinner at Burgoo. While waiting for our meal to arrive, we decided to unwind and have some fun by drawing on the white paper that served as our place mat, using the crayons provided by our waitress. Who would have thought that I snagged an artist for a boyfriend? *tee hee*

my name with my butterfly trademark

Jerome's very own version of Guyito (Inquirer's mascot)

Jerome's funky carabao

And of course, my favorite artwork of all. Aww.

In and Out of My Monday Blues

2007-05-22T17:27:00.001+08:00

I started writing this yesterday and only had time to finish it today and post it here. Here's how my Monday went...

I woke up today with a bad case of the Monday Blues. For some unknown reason, waking up and dragging myself to the shower was especially difficult today. After 45 minutes of continually snoozing my alarm clock, I finally got up from bed, took a bath, got dressed, fan-dried my hair (wasn't in the mood to use the blow dryer), grabbed my baon and left the house. Finished everything in record time - 35 minutes! I had no choice if I wanted to make it to the last shuttle service to Makati. That's what I get for waking up late. *sigh*

Fortunately, I was able to make it to the last shuttle bound for Makati. I was one of the last passengers to ride the van. And seconds after getting inside, I was fighting the urge to ask the driver to stop so I could get out . . . kasi SOBRANG INIT! To make matters worse, I was squeezed between big men, all sweaty, while the passengers in front had the aircon vent all to themselves! Talk about consideration! Argh!

The good thing is, the ride to Makati only took 45 minutes. So I had the time to stop for coffee at McDonald's and allowed the caffeine to shake me out of my woes. After finishing my caffeine fix, I took a deep breath and felt that somehow I was ready to take on the day. Blues or no blues.

The day flew by quickly at work and I found myself slowly enjoying the day. I guess I do like my job and most especially, my officemates, who have become my friends in my almost two years of stay in our company. In between workloads, Miel and I exhanged stories about how our weekend went - me, attending Jen's wedding and her, attending the Food Expo and her family's Mall of Asia adventure. And as usual, being in the company of good friends made me feel a whole lot better. *smiles*

After work, I stopped by at Coffee Bean to do a little studying. I was sitted by the window and had the view of Ayala Avenue at night. Watching the cars go by and gazing at the tall buildings of Makati had a calming effect on me. I guess I also do enjoy working in Makati.

I went home at 8:30 pm. Had dinner, took a bath and prepared myself to go to bed. Ready to take on another day ahead.

Pursuing My Happiness

2007-05-17T15:35:00.001+08:00

I have always been a people pleaser. I find it hard to say no to people, acquaintances and friends alike.

I have always been sensitive about other people’s feelings. I have been blessed with this gift of sensing discomfort, hurt or pain, in spite of a smile plastered on one’s face.

I have always been considerate of others. I would willingly set aside my comfort for another person’s solace.

I have always been unselfish. I would readily lend my ear to someone who needs to be listened to, extend a helping hand even without being asked, and allow others to feel that they can come to me for encouragement, support or consolation.

I have been like this ever since I can remember. Always considering others’ needs before my own.

But for once in my life, I allowed myself to think about “me” first. I allowed my emotions to sit in front row, and others’ feelings behind it. I let my happiness run wild and free.

And I am at my happiest right now. Because I know I did the right thing. Finally, I found the man I am going to marry. I found the man I am going to spend the rest of my life with.

But I know by doing this, I have hurt people along the way. . . people significant in my life. And with this, I am truly sorry. I never intended for this to transpire. It wasn’t planned or arranged. It just happened.

And my one and only wish is for people to be happy for me. Really, truly and sincerely happy.

For my friends who have stood by me through those trying times, thank you so much. I will forever be grateful for your unconditional love and support. Thank you for accepting and allowing me to run after my happiness.

For our families who have been witness to how our love story unfolded, thank you. Thank you for your words of advice and comfort. It is with you that we got our strength to continue with the rough roads ahead.

And to the man I love, thank you for coming into my life. You are the one God intended for me all along.

Advertising my Photo Blog

2007-05-11T15:50:00.000+08:00

Hi, I uploaded more pictures in my photo blog showing my adventures with my cousins and Xerdan's balikbayan party. Kindly click here to view them.

Enjoy!

Money in Blogging

2007-05-04T16:11:00.000+08:00

As I was browsing through Bananaspin's blog site, I came across the following thought-pondering statements:

"If you're addicted to blogging (as I am), read on"

Since I was beginning to get addicted to blogging, I read on.

"If you're in dire need of extra income (as I am), read on.

Who doesn't need extra income? Especially since I am saving up for my allowance for my US trip on December, I thought, hmm, this is interesting. So, I read some more.

"If you'd love to know how your addiction can turn into profit (as I am learning right now), read on."

You got me. I am hooked. Haha.

I learned that she came across this site called http://www.blogvertise.com/ where one can turn blogging into extra money. So, I decided to browse the site myself. I read that their blogvertise service work by assigning writing tasks to their registered bloggers, and upon approval, these online journal writers get paid for it!

Did I get you thinking too? For more info, you can visit them at http://www.blogvertise.com/

Xerdan's Balikbayan Party/College Barkada Reunion

2007-04-26T12:32:00.001+08:00

My college days are so far, the best years of my life. Thanks to twelve great friends who made those years memorable and special. If not for my college barkada, I wouldn't have been able to go through the hardships a U.P. education entails - the endless sleepless nights cramming for exams, doing tons of lab reports, rushing from Pedro Gil to Padre Faura to attend classes, recitations in Juris, problem sets in Phy Chem, defense in Pharm Chem 27, product presentation in IP (best in product presentation, ahem ahem), extended hours in the lab, removals, finishing our thesis . . . and the list goes on.

And worth mentioning of course is the fun that comes with all of it - coffee at Starbucks and San Francisco Coffee, malling at Robinson's Manila, drinking sprees at New York Shop and Surf's Up (kahit may klase a few hours after), more drinking at our condo (na ang pulutan ay Argentina corned beef hot and spicy at R.Lapid's chicharon), late-night kwentuhan at the balcony of our condo while gazing at the numerous buildings of Manila and eating pancit canton, tambay sa secret society (don't ask where and why it is called as such, mahabang storya) at marami pang iba.

As we graduated from College and entered the world of office attires, neck ties and high heels, we saw less and less of each other. Meeting up became difficult, as some had 8-5 jobs, while others worked the graveyard shifts. Some migrated to different provinces and countries for greener pasture, while the rest stayed here in Manila.

So when I learned that Xerdan, our friend who migrated to the U.S., will be coming home for a visit, I was super excited for two reasons: 1) will be seeing Xerdan again after 5 long years and 2) it was the perfect opportunity for the whole barkada to meet up again. :-)

And I wasn't disappointed. The night that we all met up again was filled with fun, booze and laughter. Just like the good ol' days. *smiles*

We all met up at Coffee Bean in Greenbelt 3. Xerdan was 1 hour and 45 minutes late! Hindi na yata sanay sa traffic sa Pinas. Halos himatayin na kami sa gutom. Pero siyempre smile pa rin sa picture. Hehe.

Xerdan being a Kapampangan, we thought Ebun would be a nice choice for dinner. We ordered plates of crispy pata, ox tail kare-kare, sizzling tofu, lechon manok and pinakbet kapampangan. Yum, yum!

After dinner, we headed to Absinth for some more bonding (and pictures!) amidst rounds of lanffreys, San Mig Lights and hookah.

Thanks Xerdan, Rach, Ja, Miel, Chit, Gail, Tet, Hubert, Oliver and Susan for a super fun-filled night that we had! Hope we can do this again soon! Muah!

For more pictures, click here.

How Happy Are You, Really?

2007-04-16T21:01:00.001+08:00

I took this quiz at www.blogthings.com and I couldn't be happier with the results. Hehe.

You Are Very Happy

Your life is totally together, and you enjoy every day.
And you don't need a quiz to tell you that!
You know how to find pleasure in the little things...
And even when life isn't so great, you have a good sense of perspective.

Crazy Jumping Pictures

2007-04-16T20:11:00.001+08:00

Our family, aside from being food lovers, also love taking pictures. Family gatherings and vacations are never the same without the traditional "picture picture" or "kodakan", as my lola would say.

So as expected, during my cousins' stay here in Manila, we took over a hundred crazy photos. And of all the photo shoots that we did, we had a lot of fun doing the "jumping series". It basically consisted of us jumping and trying to be air-borne as the camera clicked. Every shot was always followed with shrieks of laughter, teasing and shouts of "isa pa!". Never mind if we were in the middle of Enchanted Kingdom or at the viewing deck of Leslie's. Kiber. We were having the time of our lives as we jumped and jumped to our heart's content. *smiles*

Jumping at Enchanted Kingdom...

Jumping at Leslie's, Tagaytay...

Adventures with my Cousins - Part I

2007-04-10T23:17:00.001+08:00

My cousins from Cebu, Fritz and Nicole, and her boyfriend Eric are in Manila right now for a two-week vacation. And this means only one thing: non-stop gimiks and fun! When I first learned that they were coming for a visit, I was uber excited. I haven't seen Nicole for two years, while my last encounter with Fritz was eight years ago! He was barely in his teens then, and now he's 20! How time flies. . . tumatanda na ako. Haha.

So now that the cousins are reunited (and finally met Eric, who is a nice guy and perfect for my cousin), we made a mad dash to the "tourist spots" of Manila, Cavite and Laguna for that perfect cousin bonding.

First stop: Rizal Park, Rajah Sulayman Park and Baywalk. What better way to start our sight-seeing by paying a visit to our national hero, Jose Rizal? I know, you may think na ang corny ko naman para dalhinsila sa Luneta. But since they haven't been to Luneta and it was Eric's first time to visit Manila, I couldn't pass up the chance to let them experience the real feel of the city. Jologs na kung jologs. Hehe. So, there we had our first photo op with Rizal at the background.

Before going to Baywalk, we made a detour to Rajah Sulayman Park in Remedios St. Took more photos there with Rajah Sulayman's monument in the background.

Finally, we went to Baywalk for some rounds of beer, pulutan and kwentuhan. We stayed at the Anthology Bar area. They had cool native beds, instead of tables and chairs. Very similar to Fuzion in Greenbelt. While drinking beer and eating cheese sticks and nachos, we were able to catch up on each others' lives and reminisce about the times when we would all spend summer together in Cebu or here in Manila. Sigh, it was just great to spend time with them again.

Second stop: Enchanted Kingdom. The next day, we went to Enchanted Kingdom in Sta. Rosa, Laguna (see, we didn't waste any time. ) After weeks of pressure and tons of workload in the office, I was just too happy to kick back, relax and have some kiddie fun for a change. =)

Third stop: Tagaytay. The whole family went to Tagaytay to treat our cousins and Eric to some more sight-seeing (and more photo shoots). It was the perfect afternoon to go to Tagaytay as it was sunny but not too hot at the same time. During the trip, we were all in high spirits. Maybe because it was nice to spend some quality time with the family. Even the grueling Tagaytay traffic could not dampen our mood. Finally arriving in Tagaytay, we decided to go to Leslie's for good food and a good view of the Taal. And us being an "eating family", we ordered their lunch feast for ten persons. . . never mind that it was 4:00 in the afternoon or that we just had lunch before leaving the house. Lafang kung lafang. Haha. So for me, goodbye to my no-rice diet, as we ate crispy pata, calamares, pinakbet, chicken barbecue and of course, Leslie's specialty, bulalo. Take note, I couldn't resist the bone marrow, and had to even ask Jerome for more!Argh!

Fourth stop: Glorietta, Landmark, Greenbelt and Greenhills. Yan ang tinatawag na mall tour. Hehe. Since my tito and tita needed to look at some paintings in Makati for their new home, we decided to go with them. We just walked through the malls of Makati, then after that, headed to Greenhills for some real shopping. We poured over rows and rows of bags, shoes, t-shirts, blouses, jeans, skirts, accessories and other kikay stuff. After hours of walking through the stalls of Greenhills, I only went home with one kikay necklace. Ang hirap talaga ng walang pera. Haha.

To be continued...