31 December 2011

The 2011 that was. :)

Before the year ends, I want to look back and see what happened in my year 2011. I want to be reminded of the things I did, gained and lost, of the events I experienced, of the people I met, of what made me happy and sad and of every single thing I should be grateful to the Lord for in this year.

The photos are in chronological order, top to bottom per row. :)


1. My bestfriend's gift: A fashion design book. :) I really didn't see that one coming! That's how supportive he is! He's the first one to give me a design book. :D

2. USRN, baby! :)

3. College friends, :D

4. I now have a godson! First time! :)

5. Younger brother graduated from high school! :)

6. Tagaytay family bonding. How I missed Tagaytay that time.

7. First portfolio ever! :) First time to submit something like that (as part of my application). First time to apply in a fashion school. First time to apply for a scholarship ever.

8. First time in UP-Diliman. Bonding with Mara, a very rare thing since she's busy with Med School.

9. Interview at SoFA! I believe I blabbed too much nonsense that day. Hahahaha!

10. Though I didn't get the scholarship, I still consider it as a good experience. Despite the fact that I sucked at the interview, I was qualified as a regular student but not for the scholarship though. :)

11. My hormonal problem that my former doctors were referring to very vaguely had already been specifically identified! :) First time to have undergone transabdominal sonogram! :) And to have an OB in my list of doctors to go to.

12. First time to go to Philippine Fashion Week -- alone then with my cousins. Supposedly, I have a second time. I wasn't able to check their e-mailed invites for the shows I wanted to see because of the shitty internet connection the day before the shows. I only saw the invites on the day of the show itself and two shows had just finished. Boo. :l

13. Another fashion show by Oliver Tolentino with Rags II Riches.

14, MAROON 5 IN MANILA! ADAM LEVINE! :D

15. Spent some time with some friends whom I haven't seen for yearssss!

16. Bonded with sort-of-new friend! Haha! :)

17. Successful job interview! Finally! But the job given to me wan't the one I aimed for... Nevertheless, I am earning my own money now and at least I have a job so I have no right to really complain, right? :)

18. Dallas Mavericks won NBA Finals 2011!!!!!!!! :D

19. Chrys, a classmate and 'training-mate' in Perioperative lectures and trainings at The Medical City, died of Leukemia. :( It saddens me when someone dies young. We're not really close but from a few little conversations, I knew she had a lot of happiness in her even if she was ill. You cannot actually tell that she is sick. I remember I was the first one to come up to her and talk because she was wearing a really fabulous pair of heels that time and I just have to ask her where she bought it. :)

20. Lolo's death due to cancer. :( I know he's happy up there. :)

21. Iloilo tour. Museo Iloilo, different churches.

22. Guimaras!

23. Harry Potter bids goodbye. :(

24. INCUBUS IN MANILA! BRANDON BOYD! :D

25. 30 SECONDS TO MARS IN MANILA! JARED LETO! :D

(Watched the latter two on two consecutive days and with two of my closest guy friends -- Vinci and Jolo.)


26. Employment, alleluia! :)

27. Clubbing with my cousins! It felt like a first time because the last time I had been in a club was last year. We celebrated my cousin's being legit at 18 by going to the bar -- with her parents. Something new and different, isn't it? First time in the DJ booth. First time to went home at 4:30 in the morning. :)

28. A men's-looking watch! :) Remembrance of my first salary and first luxury item I had bought for myself. :)

29. MY BUSINESS! :)

30. 23rd birthday. Regardless if there was a celebration or not, birthdays for me are really special. :) For the 23 years worth of life and experiences, thank you, Lord! :)

31. My siblings. :)
32. My parents.
33. Charcoal. :)

34. MY BROTHER'S SECOND LIFE. If there's one thing I am most grateful for this 2011, it would have to be my brother's life. We were all lucky that no vital organs or nerves were damaged. He was this close to dying though. We were this close in losing him. He may be safe now but we're still praying for his safety after that. We still don't know who the culprit is and we definitely know he/they are just lurking around...

35, Hello, Curly Kulotsky! :)

26. First time I joined a walk for and with a cause. :) First time to do it with my Mom. :)

27. Dream shoes # 1, check! :)

28. The little things I am now able to buy and pay for since I am already employed. I should be grateful  for the material things and the given blessing that allowed me to do so also. :)

29. Palawan! :) Puerto Princesa Underground River, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World! :)

30. Traveling for FREE!!! Courtesy of my Uncle's generosity. :D

31. New friends, namely, Jaja, Kristle, Jhoi, Rose, Ate Malyne and Ate Dency! :)

32. First Christmas Party at work and as an employee! :)

33-34. First time to give gifts using my very own money. :)

35. Reunions can be awkward and boring sometimes (if you don't know half or more than half of the relatives present) but I still do enjoy it. It's a chance to meet the relatives I haven't met or can't even remember meeting at all. :)

36. Moving on. Forgiveness. It's a step-by-step process. With all that happened in our family, I know that it will happen at the right time, in God's grace. :)

37. Batangas! :)

38. Every little good time and happiness in every single day! :)

39. Old friends! :)

40. Mom's Christmas gift! :)

41. Last but not the least, I am thankful for every single, waking day. :) Cheers for more waking days! :)


Be it negative or not, I really have a lot to be thankful for sooooooo THANK YOU VERY MUCH, LORD! :) I remember Joanne and I saying earlier this year that we'll make 2011 our year and I really think we did. :)

As for 2012, I am looking forward for a better year! New people to meet, new places to go to, new things to try, new challenges to overcome, new events to go to and more! :) As for my New Year's Resolution, I didn't make one for this year since I keep on recycling my resolutions from the past year. Hahahaha! But the photo below will summarize the most important things to do not just for this coming new year but every year, every day, every minute. :)


How about you, what are you thankful for in 2011? :)

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28 December 2011

A Post-Christmas Affair X Mom's Christmas gift

Last Monday, my high school friends and I headed to Batangas for our Christmas get-together.



I met Vinci, Lee, Jolo and  RC in Tagaytay after lunch. We were supposed to meet at 1:00 PM but traffic was really bad that I arrived around 2:30 PM! OMG. We bought chips and drinks at Robinson's Tagaytay first before heading to Munting Buhangin Beach Camp, the resort we would be staying in for the night. It was an hour or so drive. Upon arriving, we checked-in and headed to the beach while waiting for Johnnel and Joanne to arrive.

The long drive was worth the wait. Nice beach, relaxing view. We all loved hearing the waves and just dipping our bodies in the water.








(Photos from the next morning)

Low-tide.












(More photos of the beach camp)



The accommodation was okay, too. We rented a Family Room that is good for 8-10 people. It has 4 sets of double deck, TV, DVD player, refrigerator, living room set, terrace area and the room is airconditioned, too. It has its own bathroom with functional shower and flush and clean water. Outside the room is a grilling area and washing area so you can bring and cook food there. The houses are placed apart but the rooms per houses are placed side-by-side and above each other. Though you wouldn't bother so much the people from other houses from playing games or music, the people located above or beside you might be. My friends and I were just lucky that no one was occupying the room beside us and the group staying above us were playing games and making some noise, too. Hehe. Of course, making too much noise is rude and impolite so we toned it down a bit around midnight. The beach camp has different types of rooms so just check out the site to see what suits you and your family or friends and what other facilities they offer.

The room we stayed in

This treehouse is for rent, too, and you can stay overnight.

Around dinner time, we went back to our room and ate chips for the meantime since Johnnel and Joanne had not arrived yet! Some of us took a bath first while waiting and while I was in the middle of bathing, the two arrived! With food! Yay!


We played games after dinner. We played Pinoy Henyo first then Charades. We played Charades most of the night. Then Jolo brought out his UNO Madness game then after a few rounds, Lee brought out her Monopoly cards. We had so much fun playing! 

My team


I think we made more noise compared to the group who were staying above our room. Haha! Charades + Pinoy Henyo + UNO Madness+ Monopoly cards = spontaneous and continuous cursing that we were able to invent words with curses. Hahaha! (So kids, don't play all of them together and consecutively or else... Hahahahaha!) We're the two groups who were playing something that night. In the middle of observing them play Monopoly, Joanne and I headed to bed first. We slept around 4:00-4:30 in the morning, the rest followed by 5:00 AM.

After getting four hours of sleep, more or less, we woke up to hang out by the beach. Johnnel and Vinci rented a kayak. I wanted to try kayaking but I don't like staying under the sun for too long. Jolo, RC and I just sat by the beach, under the tree and watched them. Johnnel and Vinci swam afer 30 minutes of kayaking, Lee and Joanne followed.








Around 11:00 AM, we headed back to our room and prepared for check-out. While waiting for their turn to take a bath, Johnnel, Lee, RC and Jolo played UNO Madness and Monopoly again and interchanged players with those who are done preparing.

We had lunch at Mahogany Market in Tagaytay. We were starving so bad that Vinci coined the term "brunchenda" since we didn't have breakfast and lunch and it was already 3:00 PM when we had our lunch, supposedly merienda time already. While waiting for our food, Lee, Jolo, RC and Vinci played Monopoly again. Yes, addicted much! Hahaha!



Lee dropped us at Summit Ridge in Tagaytay; Johnnel dropped Joanne there, too, before they head home respectively. Vinci and Jolo went home first while Joanne, RC and I went to buy tarts before heading home.

We were all exhausted and I know we all plunged into bed to sleep upon arriving home (But I watched our videos first before hitting the sack. :D).

It was such a good and definitely-not-quiet night with my high school friends. I missed them so bad! :) Till next affair, guys! :)

*****

This afternoon, my Mom and I went to several jewelry stores to find a ring that looks exactly like the one she gave me on my 11th birthday. I lost that ring (read full story here) last year and I asked her to give me another ring that looks like that as a gift. The problem is, she had it specially made for me years ago using the remaining pair of the earrings that was snatched from her. If only special made-to-order rings are not quite expensive (yes, even the simplest one with only one stone! They're already quite expensive in the past years, how much more now?), she would have made the exact same ring again for me. Fortunately, we found something that looks almost the same to my old ring! It's nothing very big and sparkly but I love it! :) It's the sentimental value and the feel of that lost ring that counts for me. :) Besides, I don't want a ring that looks like an engagement or wedding ring to be given to me by my Mom. :)


And she bought under ring for me, too! :) Yay, thanks Mom! :)

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26 December 2011

Christmas Eve 2011

Merry Christmas everyone! :) 

How did you spend your Christmas Eve? For us, it's just the usual.

We had our family picture taking before attending the Christmas Eve Mass.




We headed to the Mass. And took more pictures. Haha! :)





Upon arriving home at around 11.15 or 11.30, we had our Noche Buena since we were all hungry already. There were no opening of gifts after eating since I didn't wrap the gifts I gave to the rest of the family. My younger brother already used the shoes I was supposed to give him as a present last week hence, I was too lazy to wrap. Mom, too, didn't wrap her gifts for us and she have more gifts to give that she didn't buy yet. Haha! My younger brother slept after eating. My dad slept after quite some time. My other brother was too busy playing with the computer. My mom and I sang with the karaoke at home until we felt sleepy.

Basically, that's just how our Christmas Eve is! :)
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24 December 2011

Wedding!

We were invited to Tita Tina's, my Mom's cousin, wedding at Silang. Traffic was HORRENDOUS and we arrived late at the ceremony (Buti nga may naabutan pa kami, di pa tapos ang Mass).


Ito yung part na naabutan namin.
It was my first time to see her again after sooooo many years. I was around 5 or 6 or 7 (see, I can't even remember) when we last saw each other. My mom said she's already in late 20s. I couldn't believe and I disagreed because that would make our age gap real close. I remember that when we used to play at her house, I know she was in her teens! I felt bothered when my mom said she was only 27! I'm already 23! And single! Can anyone guess when will I be married then if at this age of mine I'm still single? Noooooo! Hahaha! Okay, maybe 27 too? Or 30? ASDFGHJKL. WHATEVER. Hahaha!


She looked very pretty that night. Her husband does look good, too! Her wedding dress is simple but nice. I'm not a fan of rosettes, especially if used as a skirt or for gowns because it will shrink me even more. It would put more bulk on my lower extremities. But the rosettes on her gown are somewhat pressed and little. It looks good on her. :)


And let's not forget the bridal car, very classic, I love it! :)



Congratulations, Tita! :) I wish you a blessed, happy and fruitful marriage! :)

(MORE PHOTOS)







We were not able to attend the anticipated Simbang Gabi so Mom and I woke up at 3 in the morning this morning. It was my first time to attend Simbang Gabi on its real time. :) I completed again the 9 days of Simbang Gabi! :)

In a few hours, it's Christmas already so I'm greeting everyone in advance! MEEEERRYYYYY CHRIIIISTMAAAASSSS!!!! :D
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