Since summer broke out, Jerome and I was one of those who hurriedly and excitedly made plans to enjoy the sun. We couldn't get enough of the summer that we were out almost every weekend and with different groups of friends. At one point I told Jerome that I’m getting tired of it (more of the packing and unpacking of stuff), so we'd take a break. But after the break, we were off again to a new place.
So to give you a peek at where we’ve been, take a look:
When I was growing up, I had a love-hate relationship with my dad. He thinks I am rebellious and out of control, and I think he is unreasonable. He thinks I will bring nothing but humiliation to the family, and I think he is unfair. He was hard on me, but that same fact inspired me to do well and be good.
In the middle of our war was my mom. My dad was never confrontational when it comes to us, his children. So whenever he has issues with us he'd talk to my mom and my mom will talk to us, which means we never had a chance to have a dialogue to sort out our issues. His means is my mom, my way is by letters. There were a couple of times I would write him a letter to air out my side which would lessen the tension, but after sometime we'll be back to square one.
He only loosened up a few years after I graduated. Since then, I had more liberty to do the things I want. And although he would still remind me of the effects of my vices, his approach became more subtle and loving. We became more vocal about our feelings on certain issues and we were saying i-love-yous to each other more often.
These days I get to spend more quality time with him. And the more I talk to him, the more I understand and appreciate the kind of man that my father is. He may not be the best father there is, but at the end of the day he is still my father. He is still unreasonable at times, but somehow I managed to embrace his imperfections. He may not be the smartest, loving, patient or richest father there is, but I love him just the same.
After our lunch buffet with Husbo's family, Husbo and I headed to Max's Tiendesitas to meet up with his high school friends for that much awaited chicken-all-you-can fest. Max's Restaurant, in celebration of their 65th year anniversary, launched Chicken-All-You-Can promo. The deal is you pay P165 per person if you want to avail of the promo (rice not included). You get ¼ chicken for every order. And they will refill your plate as you wish.
I was still full from lunch so I didn't find the chicken appetizing, that considering I am a chicken-lover. Plus, I'm not a fan of Max's chicken--I find their chicken bland and dry. But I availed of the promo, nonetheless, primarily because if I ordered something else it would probably cost us more.
Their chicken was surprisingly good – flavorful, crispy and freshly cooked. I liked the first serving so I had two plus 1 cup of rice and Kare-kare on the side. If my stomach was empty, my chicken count would probably be close to or more than the boys' count. They had an average of 6 servings or 1 ½ chicken. If only I was that hungry.
Not to worry, I'm already planning our next visit and I promise to come prepared.
I've been hearing husbo and dad talk about NBA in the last few times they were together. And every time they do, I feel like they're in a different universe and I'm somewhere else. In Facebook, a lot of people I know follow the games. So in order not to be excluded, I learned a thing or two about who's who in NBA through the husbo.
Husbo is rooting for LA. When I asked Dade who he's rooting for, he said "LA. ever since the world began." So it is only but fitting that I follow lead. LA it is.
Today was the last of the best of 7 finals. Was able to catch the last few minutes of the game and I did get hooked. At 1.5 minutes left, LA was leading by 6pts but was trimmed down to 3 after a Boston player hit three points. Immediately after, Lakers shot a 3-pointer to secure their 6-point lead. But Boston was persistent, they put in another 3-pointer. At that instance, my hands were already cold out of excitement. I couldn't make a premature declaration that LA was going bag it because, with the caliber of these players, anything can happen.
Didn't know it was so much fun watching the NBA. So maybe next season, I'll tune in again.
Here's a short clip of the highlights of the game:
One of the things I forgot to post last year was our funky pre-nup pictures.
Jerome and I have thought of several themes for our pre-nup because we didn't want ours to be ordinary. We wanted something that would represent us, our personalities or hobbies. So we decided on two themes. One is preppy. We're not entirely into preppy outfits but sometimes, unconsciously, we become preppy because of the clothes we wear to work. Second, we wanted the Rockstar theme not because we are rockstars but more because we live the life of a rockstar. Is that correct hon? No, probably because we party like rockstars. We work hard but we party harder. Does that make sense? Whatever.
When I thought about this post, what I had in mind was our most recent purchases, the ones that husbo referred in his facebook as "getting what we want". Then I realized, those were not the only purchases we've had in the last five months. We've had both major and minor purchases that created a huge dent on our savings.
Whenever we’d think about it, we laugh and tease each other about our spendings. We spend as if we're millionaires, purchasing items and properties at whim. But not to worry, of course all of our purchases have been well thought of. We’d like to believe, it is part of the building-our-future kind of thing that newly married couples go through.
Let me share with you what these items are.
Notebook
You know I'm not techie, right? The last time I bought an electronic gadget was in June 2006, my dear digicam and ipod, which I hardly use nowadays. As a non-techie person, you won't be surprised to know that I don't have my own computer at home. Yes, I don’t. I've been planning to buy my own desktop or notebook, since 2006 but I have this strict budget and specs requirement for a personal computer that if it goes beyond that I get easily turned off.
It really pays to wait because just a few months ago, I found the right notebook computer that perfectly fit my requirements. She's pre-owned, but she looks brand new. She was initially priced at 23k but got her for 20k. She has 4GB RAM, 160GB hard disk, and Intel Core Duo CPU. I think with the specs I don't have to worry about it konking out anytime soon. I know I named her before, but I completely forgot what I baptized her with so I am calling her Dei. Here she is.
Tick-tock
My ever reliable and favorite dress watch stopped ticking. This watch was given to me by dad sometime in 2004. It's an automatic Sandoz dress watch so the problem can't be battery. I had it checked in a watch repair shop in Megamall and the repairman said there's a problem with the mechanism, and repairing it would cost about P2,000. I took it home and never went back.
I found a replacement but it was way above my budget. But because I really wanted it I made a deal with Jerome that I'll use my June and July allowance as seed money for my watch fund. He agreed but he said I should save up for the rest.
Finally, last month, as we were strolling around Megamall, Jerome asked me where I stand in terms of the watch fund. I told him I'm still short by this amount and he said, let's go get it. He was going to fill up the gap (but he said, it was also an advance birthday gift). Yey! And I went home that night wearing a pretty watch around my wrist.
Vroom vroom
Sometime ago (before we got married), whenever I'd borrow husbo's notebook I'd see several internet pages showing a car advertisement. I remember asking him before if he was really getting a new car and he'd outrightly say no. But recently, he's been keeping an eye on the new Tucson. He drools whenever he sees one so I thought he was keen on getting that one. Only to be surprised one day when he told me we were going to check out a bimmer that was on sale at Tsikot.com. Everything happened so fast. We checked the car Monday afternoon. It was ours Thursday afternoon.
The first driving experience was funny. We were going to gas up but couldn't find the knob to open the tank. And whenever something would light up on the panel, we'd panic and end up consulting the manual. Thank God for the manual. I tried driving the car and what do you know, my legs are too short for the pedal! Hahahahaha! I can reach the pedal naman but I have to extend my legs to fully press it. Other than that the car is a winner!
So we now have 3 cars at home. But husbo said, we're going to dispose one of the old cars to cover part of the purchase cost. I thought it was a good idea considering that both our cars are more than 10 years old. They both need to be disposed.
Home sweet home
Yes, you got it right. The major purchase was a home for our family.
The idea came up when I found out that I can already avail of a housing loan. Plus with the amount of rent we are paying now, we can already get a unit of our own and the monthly amortization will more or less be of the same amount.
The place we got was at Cedar Crest in Taguig, just across Fort Bonifacio Global City. It’s a mid-rise condo developed by DMCI. What we love about DMCI developments is that their buildings have atriums allowing natural light to pass through and air to flow in. The compound also has extra facilities like swimming pool, function rooms for your parties, a park, gym, basketball court etc. All these give you the feel of living in a real subdivision.
Our unit will be turned-over to us May 2011. But when we drove by the area earlier they’ve already started constructing our building. I’m starting to get excited about the prospect of going home to a beautiful and happy home with our kids waiting for us. Oh and the kids, that one is a work-in-progress.
Since we got married, Jerome and I have been living on our own in our humble abode in Fort. Our home is basically the same home Jerome put up back in 2008. So what I did was just to move in with all my stuff, clean up and get things "a little organized".
One major obstacle we had, and still have, is getting our clothes organized. I never imagined I have so many clothes until I moved in, and that considering I've already given away a lot of my old clothes. Anyway, since they're too many, they won't fit in one dresser so for weeks, my clothes were either lying on the floor or tucked in my luggage.
A month or so after I moved in we were able to buy two clothes rack. We'e been in search of a nice and spacious dresser but to no avail. So in the meantime, we settled with just the clothes rack …which eventually broke because it couldn't bear the load of our clothes. We managed to (temporary) remedy the damage, and thankfully it is still standing.
And now when I look at all our clothes - one dresser and two clothes-rack-full - I realize I have to stop shopping for clothes. Or maybe, we should just get another clothes rack so there'd be more space. The latter sounds like a better idea. :D
One of my non-negotiable for our wedding was that we write our own vows. Which I learned was not an easy task because every time I would start writing my vows, I would break down. And my heart will be filled with gratitude, for him and for Jess, for the immense love they have shown and showered me. I didn't want to be specific about how I would love him because what I know might not be right and important for him. All I want is to be the wife that Jess wants me to be for him.
The exchange of vows was one of my favorite parts of the wedding. All my insecurities, all my fears, and all the doubts I had in my heart vanished hearing Jerome say his vows. Here's the complete transcript of his vows:
Hi Claire. You’re so pretty today.
I remember, 5 yrs ago, in 2005 also on a January, we met in graduate school. We became groupmates & barkada. 2 years later, after countless gimmicks, parties and events, we officially became boyfriend and girlfriend. Another 2 yrs as a happy couple, going on out-of-trips and traveling, and spending so many occasions together, here we are now in front of God, our families and closest friends, announcing our decision and promise to be with each other for the rest our time
Claire, I love you.
Starting today---- always remember these 4 letters which will remind you of my love and commitment to you. (Don’t worry, it doesn’t start with L).
E …as in -- ENJOY. We will enjoy every moment of our journey together. I look forward and I’m so excited, to starting a new life with you, and our future kids. To building our new house, buying our first car, and traveling abroad (just like my mom and dad). I know its not all going to be happy moments, but I’m sure, we will get past all those, as we have survived trials in the past. (…of course with the help and love, of all the people here with us today).
N NURTURE. I will nurture you and take care of you and the kids, be supportive of your work and hobbies, and continue to spoil you as much as I can.
G GOD. God will be a cornerstone of our family life. let us continue to let GOD be in the middle of everything. Ever since, everything in my life has been drafted and planned, and I have been following a strict schedule, just like I treat all my projects. I knew until when I’ll be employed, when I'll start my own business, how much I'll be making, and how I’m going reach my personal goals. Everything was according to my blueprints-- except you. It,s because God had other plans, and gave me, more than what I asked for – He’s giving me not just a wife, but a best friend and a perfect life partner.
R REMIND. As agreed, remind me to give you- your monthly allowance - for your visits to the salon, your massages, night-outs with friends, and for you travel & shopping. (but of course I will also remind, you that everytime wala ako projects – sagot mo ko and ikaw ang bahala saken). More importantly, aside from reminding each other of the things we always forget, or about our bad habits that we want to change, lets try to reassure each other every now and then, that we love each other, that we are one, and that we’re in this together, until our last breath…
Every day I thank the Lord for leading Jerome to my path. Everyday I thank the Lord for giving me hurt and pain because I would not be able to appreciate life and love the way I do now. I would do it over again if at the end of it all, Jerome is right there waiting for me. I am not perfect.
We're 5 months married now, and every morning I wake up beside him I feel the same love and appreciation for this great blessing God has given me. Thank you Lord.
After all the brouhaha, we finally came down to our wedding day.
It was tough planning the wedding side-by-side an on-going family problem. But two months before our wedding, Dad was on the way to recovery. While we were busy putting things together, he was busy getting fat…so that he'd look good at our wedding. hehehe
We checked in at Bellevue, Tagaytay Highlands, on 1 January. When we've settled down, I told Jom I'd like to have a couple of vodka shots before I sleep so I could be fully-rested. I knew the excitement would keep me up all night but if I counter it with alcohol, I'd be dreaming about Alaska for sure.
Unfortunately, despite the alcohol, I was up until 2:00 am. Then woke up at 6:00am. I only had 4 hours of sleep night before my wedding day! But what the heck, I didn't get Madge for nothing. I'm sure she'll do something about it.
Anyway, as early as 7:00am, suppliers started arriving. First, Cecilio (Couturier). Then Threelogy (Videographer), Blissful Occasion (Coordinator), Madge's Team (Make-up artist), and finally Jayjay Lucas (our Photographer).
They started doing me at 9:00am, and then pictorial here and there. In the middle of our preps, I got a call from my uncle saying that they had an accident. Thank God, no body was injured. But Krugger was crushed. I worried for a moment. But my friends told me to forget about it. Today's the day. And in my mind, I thought,"that's it. One final blow and we're on to happier days."
The moment of the walk finally came and boy, was I dead nervous! But more importantly, I was excited to finally get there, at the end of the aisle, where Jerome is waiting. This is it. The moment I've always dreamed of. The moment which I thought would never happen to me. I only have love, joy and gratitude in my heart because God made it all happen.
I cherished the moment. I told myself, I have to remember everything that happened because I will only be here once. I still have vivid images of Jerome, waiting for me at the end of the aisle, wiping his tears off his eyes; Kuya smiling at me as if to say I am so happy for you; and Dad who once told me "anak, gusto kong ihatid ka sa altar". I didn't see mom, but I know she's up there watching and smiling.
I've been with ADB for 7 years now. 2 years in another department and 5 years in the current. On my second year in my current department, I've already started applying for a promotion. At that time, I didn't know that, aside from skills, senior staff are given priority in terms of promotion – senior meaning their length of stay in the organization. The longer you are in your current position, the better are you chances to get promoted. Another plus factor is that you have to continuously apply because it gives Management the impression that you seriously want to move up. So I applied and applied, but to no avail.
When a position opened up in our department, I thought about it several times. I had to consult other people whether I should apply or not, most of them said I should go for it regardless of who the contenders were. But what really convinced me was when I consulted my former boss, who's now in Nepal, of what would be the best thing to do. Coming from her I know it would be a little biased, considering that we've had a very good working relationship while she was here, but I also know her to be fair and straight forward. And that she'd tell me, honestly, if there was anything I should improve on. Her opinion gave me so much to think about, and more importantly, she made my self-esteem move a notch higher.
Thankfully, all the preparations paid off and I got the promotion (I almost didn't apply for this promotion, would you believe?!). Finally! After more than four years of waiting, I got the promotion I wanted. The icing on the cake is, I was going to support a cool guy. Then I realized it was good that I didn't get promoted in all the positions I applied for in the past, because God has something better for me.
A couple of months after our engagement, I came face to face with one of my life's greatest challenges to date. Dad got hospitalized due to kidney failure. Both his kidneys have stopped working and the doctors recommended he undergoes dialysis 3x a week. This is one of things I feared most. That's why whenever he would get sick, I was always the first to worry, and that's why I have always been the police when it comes to his diet and medicines.
Since my mom passed away, I have always prayed for my loved ones' good health, primarily because I can't imagine losing another one of them. I am just not ready for that. Not yet.
I heard so many horror stories about dialysis. How it cripples a person's life because of the time spent in the hospital; 3x a week dialysis can also be financially exhausting for the family; and the complications resulted by the procedure is scary.
Dad knows all about these things. So when we brought him to the operating room to get his fistula installed, his lines were "Anak, I'm sorry. Ginawa ko naman lahat. Sorry Anak. Kung hindi nyo naman ako ipapa-transplant, hindi na lang ako magpapadialysis." It broke my heart seeing him hopeless and ready to give up. But I had to be strong. I have no idea where we would get the money to support his dialysis, all we had in mind was to give him immediate relief.
For 7 months, my dad was in and out of the hospital. We were exhausted, emotionally and financially. It was emotionally tormenting. And we were already contemplating on selling some properties to defray some of the medical expenses. There were days I would suddenly cry while at work whenever I'd remember his condition. There were days I was just hopeless and desperate to the point that I want to run away from everything.
In the time of my desperation, God would make miracles here and there. And it would bring my sanity back. First, our request for financial support from PCSO was granted. They gave us half of the amount we needed to kick off my dad's kidney transplant. They gave us P1,000,000. Yes, P1,000,000!!! For heaven's sake, you can't get that amount of money easily. Without the grant, we would be totally broke by now. Thank you Lord.
Next, there were friends and relatives who gave financial support to my dad. Friends from DWTL and ADB organized fundraisers for my dad, my brother's friends also pooled in some money for him. And there were some who gave money outright. All of these helped our family. One professional staff in ADB, whom I haven't met, made his wife's birthday party a fundraiser. Isn't that wonderful?
After the financial aide from PCSO, family and friends, there was the kidney donor whose kidney was a perfect match to my dad's. He is a family man in his 30s. Doctors said we were lucky to have found a healthy and perfect kidney match. Other patients spend a fortune and wait for years to find a match. But this one passed instantly. And as we speak, my dad is healthy and strong.
At the end of the day, I realized that love, indeed, can move mountains. The same way that Jerome's love moved me, or our love for our dad made us do anything and everything possible to save him... and God's amazing and enormous love for us made all of these possible. When all hope is lost, God's love remains.
Without counting the previous post, I would admit I have been M.I.A. for more than a year now. Boy do I have a lot of updating to do. Especially since last year was one of the most eventful year of my life.
Been to both record-breaking highs and lows last year, which turned out to be a real test of faith, trust and love--not only for me but also to the people around me. And at the end of it all, only those who have steadfast faith, those who trust and those who love deeply survived.
Before I can let you in on what's current with me, let me fill you in on what you missed last year. This will be a series of updates, so please bear with me.
Pamamanhikan
As you know, Jerome and I got engaged in March. Two weeks after he proposed, Jerome and his family did the traditional "pamamanhikan", with a twist. Instead of them going to our home, we rented out a function room in Serendra where our families met. We also invited some of our closest relatives and friends to join us. First, our families had a "closed-door" meeting where Jerome and I laid down our plans for the wedding. After the family meeting, we had dinner with our relatives and friends, followed by a short program. It was a memorable occasion simply because it was our first big step in letting the whole world know that we love each other this much.
Highlight of the event: This event was considered a dry-run of D-Day. And so we learned that (i) Jerome and I can stay calm even under pressure; (ii) entertaining guests is a tough job; and (iii) my feet would hurt at the end of the night if I didn't get comfy shoes.
Men, as explained by Jerome, appreciate a song for their melody or music and less of the lyrics. So whenever I tell him I have a song for him, his initial reaction is "sounds good" followed by "what does it mean?"
The other day, he said, he found a nice song that we can use for the wedding, maybe after the you-may-now-kiss-the-bride part. I didn't think the lyrics meant special to him until last night, when I was teasing him how much he loved taking my picture even when we were still friends. He said he loves the way I smile (aaaawwww...kilig!!!! hahaha), thus the song:
Minamasdan kita Nang hindi mo alam Pinapangarap kong ikaw ay akin Mapupulang labi At matinkad mong ngiti Umaabot hanggang sa langit Huwag ka lang titingin sa akin At baka matunaw ang puso kong sabik
[Chorus]Sa iyong ngiti ako'y nahuhumaling At sa tuwing ikaw ay gagalaw Ang mundo ko'y tumitigil Para lang sayo Ang awit ng aking puso Sana'y mapansin mo rin Ang lihim kong pagtingin
Minamahal kita ng di mo alam Huwag ka sanang magagalit Tinamaan yata talaga ang aking puso Na dati akala ko'y manhid Hindi pa rin makalapit Inuunahan ng kaba sa aking dibdib
[Chorus]Sa iyong ngiti ako'y nahuhumaling At sa tuwing ikaw ay lalapit Ang mundo ko'y tumitigil Ang pangalan mo sinisigaw ng puso Sana'y madama mo rin Ang lihim kong pagtingin
Sa iyong ngiti ako'y nahuhumaling(Sa iyong ngiti) Sa tuwing ikaw ay gagalaw Ang mundo ko'y tumitigil Para lang sa'yo... (Para lang sa'yo ang awit ng aking puso) Sana ay mapansin mo rin... Ang lihim kong pagtingin Sa iyong ngiti...
Okay. Now that I have finally returned from Cloud 9, I can give you a blow-by-blow account of how IT all happened.
You remember my blog entry about a dream that was haunting me? Well it was that. Yes, as early as that I've been dreaming about a proposal. And yes, it was because I have been expecting it. But of course, I didn't want to pressure Jerome so I kept it to myself and to a couple of really really close friends who allow me to be psychotic for a brief moment.
So, I've been expecting that long. It came to a point that I just got tired of hoping and waiting, so I let go and let Jess. After all, everything happens in HIS time.
Jerome brought met to Virgin Beach resort that weekend. I love the place. It's very quiet and private. The bamboo cabana had basic appliances and furnitures in it. There was no TV nor air conditioning. But it has a good view of the beach from the terrace.
Ang dami kong intro…hahaha…
Going back.
14 March. Over wine that evening, Jerome asked me to draft a guest list and budget for our wedding. I didn’t take it seriously because I thought it was just another one of his jokes. You see our Valentine's date was at a Bridal Fair. It was awkward. I tell you. Some of my friends saw me and they were all excited because they thought we were engaged. But the truth was, we were just posers. Seriously, it was awkward. The worst feeling of all was the anticipation that he was going to propose any moment. He didn't. (pathetic ko! hahaha)
So we finished our list. We laughed about the number of guests we have. We joked about who was going to shoulder 75% of the cost. He told me he wasn't going to get me an engagement ring because he'd rather spend it for the wedding than on a piece of stone. The night ended and there was no indication that a major event was coming my way.
15 March. Before we checked out, Jerome asked me to sit close to him. My back against his chest, and his arms around me. He told me about his plans in the next two weeks, something that he told me a lot of times...that he was going to be busy with school and work. I took at as a signal that we won't be seeing each other for two weeks.
Then he said, "After two weeks, can we already start preparing for the wedding?"
I was shocked. I felt my hands turn cold. But I kept calm and convinced myself that this was just another joke. So there was no need to be excited. I asked "seryoso ba to?"
"There is going to be another wedding on Saturday (21 March). For sure your relatives will ask you when you're getting married, you can tell them either October or December."
I froze. And this time I couldn't tell myself it was a joke. But I still insisted "seryoso ka ba?"
"Actually, ang plan ko…mamanhikan na kami on March 28, bago umalis si Ate."
His voice stopped in mid sentence so I looked at him and saw that he was crying. Then I knew it was real.
I had no words for him, not because I didn't want to accept his proposal, but because I couldn't find the right words to describe how happy and lucky I am to be loved by this wonderful man. We cried and hugged for a moment, until I asked…"May nakakaalam ba na magpro-propose ka ngayon?" and he said, "hindi ka pa nga umo-oo eh. Pano ko ibabalita sa iba?" hahahaha! Oo nga naman!
"Of course, hon. I will marry you."
PS.
After all the drama, he took the ring from I-don't-know-where. So again, the thing about him not giving a ring was just another joke.
PS. PS.
He had present delivered to me at work the following day with a card that says:
After a Small World, a gondola ride around Walt Disney's creations, Jom encouraged all of us to try the Space Mountain without giving us any background of what it is. The Space Mountain, as I heard, is one of the most enjoyable rides in Disneyland.
The ride will be slow at the start. And you will see nothing but pin lights that appear like stars in outer space. Then suddenly the cart will move fast, up and down. After the uphill and downhill ride will come a deep plunge and a sharp turn. It will all be deep plunges and sharp turns from then on, only faster. At some point, it will also make a loop.
The dome was filled with screams and laughter all throughout the ride. My Iegs were stiff as I was afraid that if I let loose any body part, it would hit somewhere. Sometimes I would laugh at the thought that Jom tricked us into getting in as well as the reactions I hear from other people, but most of the time I would scream for fear of my life. I was screaming up to the last leg of the ride. Thus this hideous picture.
We had a good laugh seeing this photo. It shows who had fun and those who wish they'd never gotten in. Unfortunately for me, I'm one of the latter.
Jerome and I celebrated our first year anniversary last 21 October. Can you believe it's been a year?! I haven't celebrated HAPPY anniversaries for a long time so this is definitely an achievement for me. Yey to us!
These are the things we got from each other...
a bunch of my favorite flowers, caricature, scrapbook (green gift), coffee and cake
I’ve been dreaming about something so frequently it’s starting to bother me. Not that it’s a bad dream, but I just wish I would stop dreaming about it. Maybe I should stop thinking about it, too, to help me get rid of it. But damn, the people, the situations and my mind just won’t cooperate.
I want it to stop, NOW. Because the more that I think about it, the more impatient I get. And that's just not me. Because one, I believe that things happen for a reason and, second, things will happen in Jess' perfect time. I don't want to rush things because I know if I did, it will be hilaw or worse, it might not workout right. So, I am now praying to all the angels and saints and Jess, to please grant me patience and shoo away the evil thoughts lurking in the deep recesses of my mind.
Got this as birthday present from my loving boyfriend. And since he gave this to me, I will name it Honeylet. Yey! Finally! I can pursue photography. :-) Yey! Yey! Yey!
Thanks Hon. Pwede ka nang hindi magbigay ng gift for our Anniversary, Christmas and on my Birthday next year. hehehe
As planned, we spent the weekend at La Luz Beach Resort. It was our first time so there were no expectations. All we wanted was to chill in the beach and wait for my birthday. Poker. Drinking. Listening to good music. Chatting. Playing board games ---these filled our weekend. It was definitely a break from work, something that our minds and bodies needed.
We left La Luz the next day around 1pm. We were all in a hurry as we wanted to catch the ADMUvsDLSU game. Don't ask me what happened.
After the game, Jom and I met up with my family for dinner. This is one thing that I've been looking forward to. You see my family and I hardly get together like this. The last time I tried, I got really upset. I tried again for my birthday (thinking that they would be forced to do so since it is my birthday!). Thank God, they all obliged.
I was really happy. The happiest birthday of my life...ever. Got to celebrate and relax with friends, and most especially with Jom and my family.
I can't describe how happy I am. My golly. I'm just so overwhelmed with Jerome and the love of my family and friends. This is why I'm always excited to celebrate my birthday.
Three weeks before my birthday, I decided to celebrate in La Luz instead of having a party here in Manila. Primarily because I know that the latter would cost me more, and unfortunately, I didn't have that much moolah to spend for that. So I asked my friends if they wanted to go to La Luz and celebrate my birthday with me. The catch is that they have to pay for food and gas/transpo. I will only cover the cost of the room. And my friends, who are very supportive of their demanding friend agreed, without a doubt, to this request. :-)
So we were all excited for the trip and two weeks before, we've already listed the things we need to bring, etc. Party in Manila was out of the picture. We just agreed to sleep over at Jom's place to kick off my birthday celebration.
All the while I thought that was the plan. Except for one instance that Mellay slipped when she sent an email to everyone, thinking I wasn't copied, telling them of Jom's plan. But Jom was quick to retract what Mellay said. I don't know how he did it, but I managed to believe there won't be any surprise party.
Friday, 19 September. Jom picked me up from work. Went to the supermarket to buy stuff to bring to La Luz then went home. When we were at the parking lot of his place, he said "I'll just get the bottles hon. Then let's buy beer." I told him I had to use the restroom so I'll help him with the stuff. On our way to his unit, I saw a man in black polo who came out of his place. When he saw me, he hurriedly took cover. I couldn't make out who he was but when we were closer, I knew it was George. So I asked, "George, anong ginagawa mo dito?" He just laughed. The the classic "Surprise!" burst out.
Jom had invited my family (but they didn't make it) and friends from work, college, DWTL, etc. What was originally a small get together turned out to be a real party. The kind of party that I decided not to have because I couldn't afford it. He had everything planned. He knew I was going to invite few friends but he gave them instructions to decline to my invitation.
His e-mail invitation read:
Claire's torn between celebrating her BIG-THREE-O out-of-town or spending it with everybody...
.. so il give her both.
See you on friday Sept 19, 7pm at my place in fort!!
(please come early because we'll leave early 6am sat to laluz.) SSSHHHH... its supposed to be a surprise. (okay nicky??) hahaha
And my supportive and loving friends obliged. I was super happy. Sabi nga ni Gs, "wala akong mapaglagyan ng kaligayan."
This batch will be the culmination of my stint as Core in Yuppie Days With the Lord. This Batch I will be the Rector. And....my golly....I get more nervous as we get closer to Friday.
The preparations for this batch kept me busy for 3 months. For three months, my life revolved around Days...Days...Days. And I can't believe we're just two days away from it and I will have to say goodbye to the Core, not that I will be distant to Days. But more because I will have to find other ways to serve Him.
I love Days. I love the people at Days. Days brought loving and serving Jess a whole new meaning. Thank you Jess for this opportunity.
Bunching started early this year. Thus, I have tons of work to do. Plus I have the DWTL Weekend to be ready for and volleyball trainings to go to. Sometimes I'm thankful that I'm busy because it keeps my mind from the thought that I'll be turning 30 this month. Other times, I wish I had more time in my hands so I can read, workout and sleep more.
Anyway, I just dropped by to say hi to everyone and I promise I will be back with more updates.
I'm an RX Morning Rush listener. When I'm not listening to my Days CD, I tune in to RX's daily Top Ten for some laugh time. Let me share with you some entries for the Top Ten "Notes" Moment, from Chico's blog.
10. No name - I once left a note to my crush: "Ako ang scientist mo at ikaw ang lab ko!"
9. Kenike - I’m on a jeep right now with a note in fr0nt that says "Fool the string to STOP".
8. Jose de vengenge - Sa sidewalk: "Bawal umihi dito." And near it: "Dito pwede." Another sidewalk: "Bawal omehe deto, mahole potul tete."
7. Jhoy - Notes found in: jeeps & buses: "Before pay, tell were get the on before get the off"; Mandaluyong: "Bawal umehi dito. Ang maholi bog-bog"; Makati: "Don’t parking"; Cubao: "None I.D. nothing entry".
6. Nappy Boy - One day in school we were so noisy, when suddenly a teacher stepped into the room and angrily wrote on the board "QUEIT!"
5. Jacq-jacq - My mom left me a note: "Anak, stay foot. Babalikan ka namin."
4. Bards/Pink Spark - Story from senator Flavier. In the early days of his marriage, his wife noticed that there were droplets on the rim of the toilet bowl every time he pees. One morning, there was a note on the bowl that said, "Go closer my dear, it’s not that long!"
3. Jose de vengenge - Sa FA in U.P.: "God is dead. - Nietzsche" And then one beside it replied: "Nietzsche is gay. - God"
2. ALLEN - Read at the men’s room of the AS Bldg in UP: "Here I sat br0ken-hearted, tried to shit but only farted".
1. McMaki - My officemate came back from a business trip & brought peanuts as pasalubong for us. He left it at the pantry and placed a note on the board saying: "May mani sa panty, kuha na lang kayo!"
I don't have the courage to submit my entries so let me just share with you some of my personal "notes" moments:
4. Written on one of the columns supporting the MRT line along EDSA, across Farmers: "RAF loves FMIC." (True love itu!)
3. My officemate sticks this note on her screen whenever she leaves her desk: "Gone to the light at the end of the tunnel." (Mamimiss ka namin!)
2. Note on my officemate's (same person in number 3...hehe! Wabyu!) penholder: "These pens are cursed. Please return after use or all your hair will fall off." (Sige ka! Baka maka-Mark ka. hehe)
1. Jerome and I were invited to his friend's house on New Year's day. Everything on their buffet table was labelled, from Isda, Kare-Kare, Salad, spoon and fork etc. The label on the shrimp paste read: "Bagoong (para sana sa Hilaw na Mangga kaso wala na kaya sa Kare-Kare na lang)." (Mag-explain ba?!)
A month ago I wrote about Jom fixing up his rented place. He’s done with the renovation and yesterday, he had the first official housewarming party with his family. Housewarming parties for friends will be held separately as the place cannot accommodate a lot of people.
So if you’re wondering what his place looks like, here are some photos:
Front doorLiving Room Dining Room Mini Bar and Kitchen
I think some got confused with my last blog entry. My apologies for not being clear and accurate. So just to clarify, he's renting the unit. It's at Bonifacio Heights. He can't buy this unit primarily because the place is exclusive for the Military. He's renting it from a military doctor who's assigned somewhere else. He renovated the place nonetheless as he wants it presentable. He and his housemate, business partner Teban, shared in buying the furnitures and appliances. That's he's investment na daw. :-)
More pictures from the housewarming party can be viewed here.
It's always been a mystery to me How two hearts can come together And love can last forever But now that I have found you, I believe That a miracle has come When God sends the perfect one
Now gone are all my questions about why And I've never been so sure of anything in my life
I wonder what God was thinking When He created you I wonder if He knew everything I would need Because He made all my dreams come true When God made you He must have been thinking about me
I promise that wherever you may go Wherever life may lead you With all my heart I'll be there too From this moment on I want you to know I'll let nothing come between us I'll love what ever you love
He made the sun He made the moon to harmonize in perfect tune One can't move without the other They just have to be together And that is why I know it's true You're for me and I'm for you Cause my world just can't be right Without you in my life
I wonder what God was thinking When He created you I wonder if He knew everything I would need Because He made all my dreams come true He must have heard every prayer I've been praying Yes, He knew everything I would need When God made you When dreams come true When God made you He must have been thinking about me
The Lighthouse
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