Had a new idea this evening, as I got home from visiting a friend who had just given birth.. And while waiting for Dennis to come home from his boy's night out. I will make a more conscious effort to be a grateful person - someone more deliberate and conscious about appreciating my blessings, and actually take time out to feel this gratefulness. Looking at my friend's newborn baby and seeing her joy with her newly delivered blessing, I couldn't help but feel wistful and, I dare admit, jealous. I want what I was seeing soooo very badly. And afterwards while walking the short distance home, I felt guilty for my impatience and for complaining about one thing I don't have (yet) whereas so many good and happy things grace my life. So here's my small effort to be more appreciative of what my life has been so blessed to have.
Ok let's start with what I am most grateful for. I am very thankful for the love that has filled my life, starting from my loving family to my super dedicated husband. Not everyone has such a concentration of love in their life and I am humbled by the blessing that my life is one such existence. There's a huge degree of esteem and inner strength that stem from being so well-loved, and all I can say is thank you.
So there. First effort. Let's keep this up as much as possible :)
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
lightbulb moment!!!
I have always loved the brand Benefit. Their skincare and makeup lines are so fun, girly and always has a unique benefit (sorry for the repetitive use of the word). Whenever I find their sales counter, whether it's in Singapore, HK, Malaysia or even Paris and Macau), I always make it a point to stop by. Usually too, I end up buying a couple of products. This last trip to Macau yielded additional purchases too, namely:
and
I've used them for the past 3 days. Love them both!!
Other products of theirs that I have and love are:
I also love going through the Benefit blog:
http://blog.benefitcosmetics.com
Which leads me to a lightbulb moment today!!!! I've been thinking of what business to put up, and maybe, just maybe, I can be the official distributor of Benefit in the Philippines!!!
I know this may be a HUGE stretch, and there might be millions of capital required, but it would be so cool to be able to work with Benefit, a brand I so dearly love! Also, for the first (and maybe last) time in my life, I actually wished I lived in the States so I can apply to work there! They actually have openings for marketing!!! Aaack!!
Or, if it's really impossible, just to get this brand to have a physical presence in Manila would be enough too. That way, I don't have to go abroad for my stash and to get to know their new products :)
and
I've used them for the past 3 days. Love them both!!
Other products of theirs that I have and love are:
I also love going through the Benefit blog:
http://blog.benefitcosmetics.com
Which leads me to a lightbulb moment today!!!! I've been thinking of what business to put up, and maybe, just maybe, I can be the official distributor of Benefit in the Philippines!!!
I know this may be a HUGE stretch, and there might be millions of capital required, but it would be so cool to be able to work with Benefit, a brand I so dearly love! Also, for the first (and maybe last) time in my life, I actually wished I lived in the States so I can apply to work there! They actually have openings for marketing!!! Aaack!!
Or, if it's really impossible, just to get this brand to have a physical presence in Manila would be enough too. That way, I don't have to go abroad for my stash and to get to know their new products :)
stay positive....
Stay positive. Stay positive. Stay positive. Stay positive. Stay positive. Stay positive. Stay positive. Stay positive. Stay positive.
Repeat.
Repeat.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Macau recap
We're back from Macau! :)
It was a fun trip, overall. Everybody enjoyed, and Dennis kept thanking me for arranging everything. Told him it's my pleasure. The trip was, after all, partly his birthday gift. And partly our gift to his parents for their birthdays as well. It was a good trip, with a healthy mix of shopping, sightseeing, eating (a lot!), gambling (a bit!) and just hanging out and being together. It was a great family vacation, and I look forward to the next ones :)
I realized something from the trip though. Every family has its own culture. Much like country-level culture, each family has its own language, its own set of rules, its own ways of thinking and own methods of operating. Throughout the trip, I made so many comparisons between the Chans and my family, esp during points when I felt disoriented because my family's "way" was so different from theirs. I guess it just boils down to making adjustments, not making comparisons and just appreciating a family for their own virtues. They do love me, and for that I am very grateful.
It was a fun trip, overall. Everybody enjoyed, and Dennis kept thanking me for arranging everything. Told him it's my pleasure. The trip was, after all, partly his birthday gift. And partly our gift to his parents for their birthdays as well. It was a good trip, with a healthy mix of shopping, sightseeing, eating (a lot!), gambling (a bit!) and just hanging out and being together. It was a great family vacation, and I look forward to the next ones :)
I realized something from the trip though. Every family has its own culture. Much like country-level culture, each family has its own language, its own set of rules, its own ways of thinking and own methods of operating. Throughout the trip, I made so many comparisons between the Chans and my family, esp during points when I felt disoriented because my family's "way" was so different from theirs. I guess it just boils down to making adjustments, not making comparisons and just appreciating a family for their own virtues. They do love me, and for that I am very grateful.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Macau in 3-2-1
We're off to our first Chan family overseas trip this coming Wednesday evening - to Macau! We also plan to go on a daytrip to HK, since the total trip encompasses about 4 days. :)
I'm really excited! It's our first time in Macau, and our first time to travel with his side of the family. I'm also excited to shop (heard about the crazy summer sales!) and to eat!!! :D
I love traveling! :)
I'm really excited! It's our first time in Macau, and our first time to travel with his side of the family. I'm also excited to shop (heard about the crazy summer sales!) and to eat!!! :D
I love traveling! :)
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
my life's work
I must say, no matter how much I whine about being moved back to Usage, I believe this is really my life's work. I get a great deal of fulfillment and excitement when I work in this kind of setup. Hence, it might make me rethink any plans to change industries (esp those that sell actual products). I know stress also comes at the flip slide of this exciting work, but I guess it really comes hand in hand. Everything worth doing is just wired that way.
Wala lang. Just realized that so I thought I'd jot it down before I forget.
Wala lang. Just realized that so I thought I'd jot it down before I forget.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
marginal utility of money
Something our boss said this morning hit home more than I care to admit. He said the marginal utility of money is very small, much smaller than we give it credit for. When you've earned enough to cover your basic necessities, the quest for additional money just to keep up with the luxuries of life is often where you get into trouble. Definitely, when you are in need of money, because you cannot cover the basic needs of you and your family, then money is at its most use (and of most importance) to you. Then you crave more, to cover life's little luxuries, which I guess is still okay. After all, what differentiates life from existence is quality. And certain aspects of a quality life do require some measure of money. For example, travel is life-enriching but is also a rather expensive hobby. Education is another, though basic education would mean getting educated here whereas "luxury education" would mean a foreign degree or even an additional degree like an MBA. You would also need a cushion to cover a rainy day (or days, as last week proved to be), especially when you have aging parents or many dependents or simply just for your sanity. In Manila too, a car is almost a necessity, as is the occasional movie and dinner date to destress.
However, after you've checked those marks, and you crave more money, you'll find this incremental moolah to deliver way less than what the earlier amounts did, at least in terms of satisfaction and happiness. In fact, you'll discover that what you need to sacrifice, in the name of this additional money, may cost you more than the benefits to be derived by the possession of these incremental pesos. Such examples are time with your family, your health, your spiritual life, or simply just your life. In the quest for more money, you run faster and faster on the hamster wheel, only to end up not being able to enjoy the very money for which you exerted that much effort for. Worse, after earning so much money, you find yourself dying due to the stress of the quest.
So I guess the point is to continually reflect and evaluate the "point" in everything we do, including everything we sacrifice. There's obviously a tradeoff, and the reward that you're working for may or may not end up to be as satisfying as it appeared to be in your head.
Definitely, at this age, my husband and I are still very much justified to stay in the rat race. After all, we don't have children yet, and I've heard children tend to cost a substantial amount of money. Plus, we do have dreams yet to be achieved, before we can say we've had enough of our work. But it's good to see this perspective from a 50-year-old marketing veteran and learn that, after a certain point, you really don't need "more" anymore. Life is not about that at all. What's tricky is knowing where to draw the line and keep your sights at it, no matter the temptation (whether in your head or through people around you). Hopefully, you'll also be brave enough to get off the horse when you need to, in recognition of better things to allocate your time, effort and attention for, even if these things do not appear in a bank statement or chequebook. Unlike in the corporate world, achievements in life are not supposed to be in numerical format.
:)
However, after you've checked those marks, and you crave more money, you'll find this incremental moolah to deliver way less than what the earlier amounts did, at least in terms of satisfaction and happiness. In fact, you'll discover that what you need to sacrifice, in the name of this additional money, may cost you more than the benefits to be derived by the possession of these incremental pesos. Such examples are time with your family, your health, your spiritual life, or simply just your life. In the quest for more money, you run faster and faster on the hamster wheel, only to end up not being able to enjoy the very money for which you exerted that much effort for. Worse, after earning so much money, you find yourself dying due to the stress of the quest.
So I guess the point is to continually reflect and evaluate the "point" in everything we do, including everything we sacrifice. There's obviously a tradeoff, and the reward that you're working for may or may not end up to be as satisfying as it appeared to be in your head.
Definitely, at this age, my husband and I are still very much justified to stay in the rat race. After all, we don't have children yet, and I've heard children tend to cost a substantial amount of money. Plus, we do have dreams yet to be achieved, before we can say we've had enough of our work. But it's good to see this perspective from a 50-year-old marketing veteran and learn that, after a certain point, you really don't need "more" anymore. Life is not about that at all. What's tricky is knowing where to draw the line and keep your sights at it, no matter the temptation (whether in your head or through people around you). Hopefully, you'll also be brave enough to get off the horse when you need to, in recognition of better things to allocate your time, effort and attention for, even if these things do not appear in a bank statement or chequebook. Unlike in the corporate world, achievements in life are not supposed to be in numerical format.
:)
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
building a pipeline or hauling buckets
I stumbled upon this story from a blog of a friend and wanted to post it here so I won't forget it. I feel it can be related to many things in life, most obviously to the ever-lingering idea of setting up my own business vs staying in this corporate rat race forever. Read on!
Are you building a pipeline or hauling buckets?
A village in Africa needed water, so they gave 2 people, Bill and Ed, the contract to supply it, reasoning that the competition would keep prices reasonable and the service good. Bill immediately ran out, bought to buckets, and started making the trek to and from the lake, which was a mile away. He started making money immediately, which was great, especially as Ed disappeared from the village. The downside was that he had to get up before everybody else to make sure that the village had the water, and his work was very tiring, as he spent his whole day carrying buckets of water.
Several months later, Ed returned with a construction crew, and built a stainless steel pipe from the lake to the village. Once it was ready, he announced that he would charge 75% less for his water than Bill, that his water would be cleaner than Bill’s, because it would be covered the whole way, and that it would run 24/7, unlike Bill’s, because Bill didn’t work on weekends.
When Bill saw everybody run to the new faucet at the end of Ed’s pipeline, he dropped his prices by 75%, bought covers for his buckets, and employed his sons to work night and weekend shifts. Once his sons had left for college (and inexplicably never returned), he had to hire more workers to cover their costs, and spent his days dealing with accounting and labor issues.
Ed saw the success of his pipeline in this village, and went on to build them in several other villages as well, earning only pennies on every bucket delivered, but delivering millions of buckets a day. He oversees his business from a beach in Hawaii, as the water flows whether he is working or not.
THE END
The story ends with this advice: don’t spend your days working for money when you could be designing systems to have money flowing to, and working for you. But I feel that it can be related to so many more things other than money. Are you sacrificing long-term gains for short-term contentment? Are you missing the bigger picture in the quest to have something solid now? Are you building a pipeline or hauling buckets?!
Are you building a pipeline or hauling buckets?
A village in Africa needed water, so they gave 2 people, Bill and Ed, the contract to supply it, reasoning that the competition would keep prices reasonable and the service good. Bill immediately ran out, bought to buckets, and started making the trek to and from the lake, which was a mile away. He started making money immediately, which was great, especially as Ed disappeared from the village. The downside was that he had to get up before everybody else to make sure that the village had the water, and his work was very tiring, as he spent his whole day carrying buckets of water.
Several months later, Ed returned with a construction crew, and built a stainless steel pipe from the lake to the village. Once it was ready, he announced that he would charge 75% less for his water than Bill, that his water would be cleaner than Bill’s, because it would be covered the whole way, and that it would run 24/7, unlike Bill’s, because Bill didn’t work on weekends.
When Bill saw everybody run to the new faucet at the end of Ed’s pipeline, he dropped his prices by 75%, bought covers for his buckets, and employed his sons to work night and weekend shifts. Once his sons had left for college (and inexplicably never returned), he had to hire more workers to cover their costs, and spent his days dealing with accounting and labor issues.
Ed saw the success of his pipeline in this village, and went on to build them in several other villages as well, earning only pennies on every bucket delivered, but delivering millions of buckets a day. He oversees his business from a beach in Hawaii, as the water flows whether he is working or not.
THE END
The story ends with this advice: don’t spend your days working for money when you could be designing systems to have money flowing to, and working for you. But I feel that it can be related to so many more things other than money. Are you sacrificing long-term gains for short-term contentment? Are you missing the bigger picture in the quest to have something solid now? Are you building a pipeline or hauling buckets?!
"Not much to look forward to this year"...
Some of my friends said this at the top of the year, especially in the context of 2010 being a action-packed, exciting year for all of us, peppered with memories of weddings and babies. I couldn’t relate to this feeling at first, since we had our Europe trip (of the decade!) in the pipeline during that period. I was too busy looking up itineraries, comparing hotels, preparing flight schedules, etc, to feel that there’s not much to look forward to. My heart was so full of excitement and happy anticipation. Now that that has peaked and we’re back to regular life, I can’t help but agree with the statement now. Especially given the recent work challenges, which either pull me to the direction of feeling work is so humdrum, or haul me back to the other direction of feeling overwhelmed and tired by this new assignment. Granted, the resurrection of my teaching career does put an exclamation point to my weekly sched, and my MBA does keep me extra busy, but I don’t know, I feel like something is off. Or, better said, something seems dissatisfying. I can’t quite pinpoint what it is exactly. All I know is what it is NOT about – I’m 100% happy with my marriage and 100% happy with my personal and student-related lives. I have a sneaking suspicion it’s about work.. and about my impatience with the next stage in life.
There's no solid point to this post. I just wanted to jot down this feeling, in hopes of untangling the mixed emotions and finding the center of it all. I'll let you know if it worked...
There's no solid point to this post. I just wanted to jot down this feeling, in hopes of untangling the mixed emotions and finding the center of it all. I'll let you know if it worked...
Monday, June 20, 2011
Not this time :(
Erased my last post about crossing fingers for good news this month because, well, the good news didn't come. I would be lying if I said we're not disappointed. Frankly, the feeling resembles heartbreak way too closely- and I doubt we can be faulted. The signs all pointed there, and I can be sure that while some may arguably just reside in the place in my heart that really wants it to come true, the other signs were so real they really had us fooled :(
Oh well, no use agonizing. We can always try again.
And let it be said that I have the best husband in the world. Hope every girl out there finds someone as devoted and as loving, to be with in good times and sad :(
Oh well, no use agonizing. We can always try again.
And let it be said that I have the best husband in the world. Hope every girl out there finds someone as devoted and as loving, to be with in good times and sad :(
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Guam Guam
OK, this is an update from my earlier blog post today. Due to several circumstantial roadblocks to our plan to go to Bora, we've revised the plan and moved the destination to...
GUAM!
The biggest dependency for this plan, though, is a Mabuhay Miles Half-Off promotion. It's a showstopper (or show-go-er, depending on how you look at it), because we plan to use my miles to go Guam for free! (Thank you to Citibank Premier Miles VISA card!) Definitely a much better beach destination for us, and it also allows us to hit a second bird with the same stone - getting our US visas renewed! Yooohooo! I'm definitely more psyched about this plan. I really really pray it pans out.
:D
GUAM!
The biggest dependency for this plan, though, is a Mabuhay Miles Half-Off promotion. It's a showstopper (or show-go-er, depending on how you look at it), because we plan to use my miles to go Guam for free! (Thank you to Citibank Premier Miles VISA card!) Definitely a much better beach destination for us, and it also allows us to hit a second bird with the same stone - getting our US visas renewed! Yooohooo! I'm definitely more psyched about this plan. I really really pray it pans out.
:D
Bora Bora
I wish a thousand million times that PAG-ASA does NOT declare the end of summer by the end of this week. Just when we decided to go to Bora (in about 2 weeks' time), this happens. GRR GRR GRR!
Please! Extend summer just a teeny bit longer!!!!
Please! Extend summer just a teeny bit longer!!!!
Monday, May 23, 2011
wannatrepreneur
I came across this term and found it funny because it's supposed to refer to someone who always talks about being an entrepreneur but never actually does it. I can sooo relate! Haha! I've always had the intention to get into a side business, have thought up a handful of ideas of what to do, have talked some of those ideas to death with my husband,... and yet, nothing has materialized! Truly a wannatrepeneur.
Anyway, I had a lightbulb moment again the other day, a truly lucrative idea, but it seems like there's no available commercial area in my building. I have yet to scour nearby locations for an available space, and I don't know when I will actually do this "scouring", given the heat outside. A part of this wannatrepreneur in me tells me to go and do it already. Find a spot and open this business. But then the other more conservative part of me thinks maybe I should simply wait for a spot to open up and land on my lap. Tsk tsk. What to do..?
I really think I'm on to something good. I think I just need to that extra push to get the ball rolling....
Anyway, I had a lightbulb moment again the other day, a truly lucrative idea, but it seems like there's no available commercial area in my building. I have yet to scour nearby locations for an available space, and I don't know when I will actually do this "scouring", given the heat outside. A part of this wannatrepreneur in me tells me to go and do it already. Find a spot and open this business. But then the other more conservative part of me thinks maybe I should simply wait for a spot to open up and land on my lap. Tsk tsk. What to do..?
I really think I'm on to something good. I think I just need to that extra push to get the ball rolling....
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Monday, May 09, 2011
Teacher Teacher!!
I'm so glad to have been invited back to teaching. I must admit, I missed it! I took a 1-year hiatus from teaching, because first semester coincided with my wedding (and the months leading up to it). Since I also had my MBA to juggle work and wedding preps with, I didn't want to overload myself and decided to drop teaching for a year.
Then I got an email two weeks ago inviting me to go back. I was actually still in Paris when I saw the email, and couldn't contain my excitement when I told my husband about it and asked if it was okay to accept (I had to clear it with him because, you know, he's my driver! Hahahaha!) Luckily, I have a very supportive husband who said GO AHEAD as soon as I finished asking my question :P
The difference with this coming semester though is that they moved my class from being a 4th year class to a 3rd year class, replacing (I think) Marketing Management. They want my class to be a big-picture look at IMC and serve as a foundational course. This is VASTLY different from how I designed the course in the last 2 years I taught it, where it assumed the students already knew the basics and that I could throw out terms like segmentation and positioning without having to explain what they meant. Changing gears to being a basic, foundational course means I need to adjust almost 90% of the content, because this time my class would be what the 4th-year teachers will expect to have taught the kids the basics. :s
So now, I'm mulling over how to revamp my course content, syllabus, and lecture presentations (oh and the assignments and class presentations too!) to fill this new objective. Nooninooninoo.... Time to research again! :P
Anyway, apart from this slight inconvenience (plus, I really think my previous course content was really cool!), I must say I'm very excited. Teaching is such a source of fulfillment for me, and it's a great way to stay motivated with this professional field I chose, when work gets to be too much or I get too bogged down by office politics. It's a nice way to remind myself of why I love this profession. It also serves as a great way to make repayments for all the blessings I have. Lastly, it's also a venue to learn (or in some cases re-learn) the basics - which are far too easy to forget once you're too heavily into the thick of things)
Can't wait for June 18!
Then I got an email two weeks ago inviting me to go back. I was actually still in Paris when I saw the email, and couldn't contain my excitement when I told my husband about it and asked if it was okay to accept (I had to clear it with him because, you know, he's my driver! Hahahaha!) Luckily, I have a very supportive husband who said GO AHEAD as soon as I finished asking my question :P
The difference with this coming semester though is that they moved my class from being a 4th year class to a 3rd year class, replacing (I think) Marketing Management. They want my class to be a big-picture look at IMC and serve as a foundational course. This is VASTLY different from how I designed the course in the last 2 years I taught it, where it assumed the students already knew the basics and that I could throw out terms like segmentation and positioning without having to explain what they meant. Changing gears to being a basic, foundational course means I need to adjust almost 90% of the content, because this time my class would be what the 4th-year teachers will expect to have taught the kids the basics. :s
So now, I'm mulling over how to revamp my course content, syllabus, and lecture presentations (oh and the assignments and class presentations too!) to fill this new objective. Nooninooninoo.... Time to research again! :P
Anyway, apart from this slight inconvenience (plus, I really think my previous course content was really cool!), I must say I'm very excited. Teaching is such a source of fulfillment for me, and it's a great way to stay motivated with this professional field I chose, when work gets to be too much or I get too bogged down by office politics. It's a nice way to remind myself of why I love this profession. It also serves as a great way to make repayments for all the blessings I have. Lastly, it's also a venue to learn (or in some cases re-learn) the basics - which are far too easy to forget once you're too heavily into the thick of things)
Can't wait for June 18!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Trip of the Year!
We're back!!! From the vacation of the year!!! :D
I loved loved loved loved our trip. It was a glorious set of 10 vacation days, to the most romantic cities in Europe. Some highlights:
ON PARIS
1. We loved our hotel and the staff. They were so friendly and accomodating, and they made sure our stay was comfortable. We were upgraded to the biggest room and had easy access to the MRT.
2. We took the Hop On Hop Off bus tour, which allowed us to see the whole of Paris, with just 1 ticket. My most favorite site is the Eiffel Tower whereas Dennis really liked NotreDame Cathedral.
3. We loved the food, esp in our favorite restaurant George V. We loved escargot SOOOOO very much!
4. Speaking of food, our lunch with Miss Lunch was the best meal we had in our trip. It cost 55 euros per person, which may sound pricey, but no, it was sooo worth it! All the courses were top-notch, and she served 3 kinds of wines! We were also lucky to have such pleasant and fun company throughout the dinner. They were all so nice, and the conversation was lively enough that we were able to fight off jetlag (we ate there on the same day we arrived). It was such a great experience. Everybody going to Paris should try to get seats on Miss Lunch's table. She only does it every 2 month or so, so if your schedule jives with her, GO FOR IT! Don't even think about it anymore :)
5. We had an encounter with several suspicious-looking Shanghainese women, who asked us to buy LV bags and wallets on their behalf, even giving us the cash upfront. We tried to help them by going to the boutique and asking for the items they requested. But since the LV salesgirl refused to sell me anything w/o me giving over my passport, I drew the line there and just walked out. Told our Shanghainese auntie that we didn't bring our passports (which wasn't true, they were with Dennis) but I just didn't want to expose our official documents to a situation that might get us in trouble. Better safe than sorry. My gut told me it was the right thing to do.
6. We loved Chateau de Versailles. It was beautiful!!! But, our tour guide/driver was such a character! He was soooo funny, in a what-an-ass-but-he's-kinda-funny sort of way. Hehehe. Ask me more kwento about him to get more details. Dennis & I always share a huge laugh whenever we remember him.
7. We didn't get to see the Eiffel Tower at night, and we also missed our Da Vinci Code tour because we woke up too late (hehehe). It's not so bad though. As Dennis said, it gives us another reason to go back to Paris.
ON ROME
1. It was such a picturesque city, and the Fontana di Trevi was my absolute favorite site! Which was made even better by the fact that our room / B&B was around the corner from the fountain! LOVE IT!
2. Speaking of our room, it was so big and so conveniently located, it's the best spot in Rome, in my opinion. At a very reasonable rate too, considering it includes breakfast. The hosts are also sooooo friendly and made things so comfortable for us. I loved it! They even gave us champagne because I told them we were on our honeymoon, which is sort of true :)
3. The Vatican was an impressive site. HANDS DOWN. Even if I'm not Catholic, knowing the history behind the place and what the various spots symbolized, I was sooo impressed. There was even a Holy Week mass going on when we were inside St Peter Basilica, but since it was in Italian, we opted out and gave our slots to someone else.
4. Our Vatican Museum tour was the best! That was my favorite tour. We loved it so much we bought the book! :)
5. Dennis bought me red roses when we were along the Spanish Steps. A really simple gesture, but I really loved it.
6. We went to both fancy restaurants and really simple trattorias when we were in Rome. And guess what, we actually preferred the food at the cheaper places! Goes to show you don't have to spend big to get good food :)
We also shopped (mostly for other people) and dined to our hearts' content. I loved the trip also because it was such a nice set of bonding days. It was a good break from our everyday routine. While we would still get to talk everyday, there's a different sense of closeness when you travel together and really "be" together all day every day. I can't explain it. It made us decide to go on a long trip every year. Somewhere new, but doesn't have to be very far (i.e. Europe). Even when we have kids, we can still jet off to Korea, China, or even Australia, for a few days each year, to have that 1-on-1 time that's simply irreplaceable.
I'm so thankful the trip went beyond my expectations. After planning it for so long, I'm so happy that it turned out even better than I expected. For a while, I worried that I may have hyped it too much in my head. But thank God, no, the reality was even better. A classic moment of this was when I first saw the Eiffel Tower and the Fontana di Trevi. I had to stop because they just both blew my mind. I knew they were good sites to see, but when they were actually presented right in front of me, I stood there breathless and completely in awe.
I want this experience every year. If only for that reason, I'll continue on this corporate rat race, if only so we'll raise enough funds to go on this adventure once a year :)
Friday, April 15, 2011
TODAY!
Today is when we leave for our trip! We're going first to Malaysia, and stay for a night coz our flight to Paris is from KL and leaves really late tomorrow. So I figured since it's Atty's first time in Malaysia, might as well leave a whole day to explore it :) Then after that, we're off to Paris and Rome! :)
I was so excited yesterday that I slept past 1am already (really late for a weeknight, for me). My adrenaline was so high after packing and my head kept swirling with possible items I may have left out. Then today, I'll have lunch with the girls, then will go home to finish packing.. then it's off to the airport! :D
Will update again when I get back. Bye! :)
I was so excited yesterday that I slept past 1am already (really late for a weeknight, for me). My adrenaline was so high after packing and my head kept swirling with possible items I may have left out. Then today, I'll have lunch with the girls, then will go home to finish packing.. then it's off to the airport! :D
Will update again when I get back. Bye! :)
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
It's here, it's here!!!
Our trip is finally here!!!! 3 days from now, that is.... I can't wait to start packing our bags this evening, which leaves me enough time to buy toiletries and other missing items either tomorrow or Thursday.
We leave the condo at around 6pm on Friday, for our 9pm flight to KL. I'm so excited!!!! :D
A small setback though is I seem to be developing some sort of skin allergy or eczema... I'm getting it checked by the derma tomorrow to see what cream I can put. I also took antihistamines the other night, thinking it's a food or season related allergy. Usually this does the trick, but this time around, for some reason, the small, red, itchy blots are still there! And what's even more annoying is the skin around my eyes also seems to have them :( Boohoo.
OK, enough complaining. I'm going to Europe on Friday!!!! :D
We leave the condo at around 6pm on Friday, for our 9pm flight to KL. I'm so excited!!!! :D
A small setback though is I seem to be developing some sort of skin allergy or eczema... I'm getting it checked by the derma tomorrow to see what cream I can put. I also took antihistamines the other night, thinking it's a food or season related allergy. Usually this does the trick, but this time around, for some reason, the small, red, itchy blots are still there! And what's even more annoying is the skin around my eyes also seems to have them :( Boohoo.
OK, enough complaining. I'm going to Europe on Friday!!!! :D
Friday, April 08, 2011
1 week to go!!!
Until our Europe trip!!!!!!!
After months of planning, it all boils down to these last 7 days. I have to print out our tickets, hotel vouchers, tour coupons and itinerary. Admittedly, I slacked off a bit with the planning, especially on finishing the Rome travel book that my husband gave me. But it's okay, I have this weekend to do those things :)
I AM SO EXCITED!!!!! :D
After months of planning, it all boils down to these last 7 days. I have to print out our tickets, hotel vouchers, tour coupons and itinerary. Admittedly, I slacked off a bit with the planning, especially on finishing the Rome travel book that my husband gave me. But it's okay, I have this weekend to do those things :)
I AM SO EXCITED!!!!! :D
Monday, March 28, 2011
Time Frame
Some conversation topics today got me thinking about time frames. Just when you think you're in charge of your life's major milestones and the time frames on which they will happen, you get an awakening (rude or pleasant, depending on the situation) that the otherwise is what's true. A number of women I know have such trouble conceiving, to the point of desperation (i.e. IVF and other scientific ways of making a baby) that I can't help but think life is really out of our hands. We can try to schedule our life and put time frames that are convenient and/or feasible for us, but God will have His own plans and His own schedule for you. No matter how much you fight it, or want it to be different, you can't.
:s
:s
Thursday, March 24, 2011
The thing with being in front of a computer all day...
is you find things online that you didn't know you wanted!!!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
housegirl saga continuation...
OK, so there's more update now with my housegirl situation. The in-laws of my housegirl did not allow for their probinsiyana daughter to come to Manila, mostly because it means her education will drag out longer than necessary. Completely understable, but still an inconvenient truth...
Anyway, another option has surfaced. What if we allow her to bring her son with her and stay with us from Monday to Friday (or sometimes Saturday morning)? Let's break that down into a list of pros and cons -
PROS
- She's very trustworthy; as in, I can trust her with money, jewelry, food, and basically everything and anything in my small household. And if you employ someone to be in your house by her lonesome all day long, you better have trust as the number 1 requirement.
- She's willing to be alone in the condo (or in this case, be with her son alone in the condo). Not a lot of maids are willing to do that, apparently, and I learned this yesterday from a coworker. I don't know why I didn't think of it before, but it is quite a challenge to be alone all day, everyday, save for a few minutes of interaction with me and Dennis at the start and end of each day. It takes a certain kind of personality to be able to thrive in a situation like that, and this lovely housegirl of mine is one such personality. She is content and quite used to being alone, with no one to talk to (at least no one of adult age). It's another value she brings to the table.
- She cooks really well. In Dennis' words, she's the best cook he's ever had.
- She can be relied on to do a good job with the cleaning and washing.
- She's been with my family for ages, and because of that, I can entrust her to be my eyes and ears, when later on when we have a baby and I have to employ a yaya I may not know personally (I have to be realistic), I can count on her to look out for my family's best interest and make sure the yaya toes the line. I don't know how else to explain it but she's very good for my peace of mind.
CONS
- The son will be in our care, and will be our responsibility. While I'm sure she won't allow any harm to fall onto her son, if the kid gets sick, he is our responsibility. One way to mitigate this con is immunization, and I plan to check on what the kid has gotten (and has not gotten) so far in terms of vaccine. If needed, I'll pay for the additional vaccines, if only to make sure he doesn't fall seriously ill when in our household.
- Her attention might be split, hence it may take her longer to do her work. For now, at least, this isn't a big issue, since she's free most of the time, given the small amount of work needed to maintain our 124 sqm condo. She's mostly done with her work by 1:30 or 2pm in the afternoon, and she can afford to watch tv or take a nap for an hour or two, before starting dinner prep at around 4:30.
- The son is 2 years old, and as my officemates call it, still at the terrible age of being loud, rambunctious and very capable of breaking things in the condo. While I doubt the high incidence of this, it's nothing that a bit of childproofing can't do. Also, my mother in law has had experience of help bringing in their children to live in their property. From her (and Dennis') observation, their kids are not like the kids of the owners of the house. Their kids tend to know their place and be more behaved. I don't have firsthand experience with this so I really wouldn't know. This is the one "con" that I really don't have a hard solution for, so I guess we can just figure this out as we go along. For instance, if you've seen my place, you can close the kitchen swing door and keep the kid on the other side of the condo - the kitchen/ maid's quarter's area, which is farthest from our room. Thereby minimizing the noise level...
So there. That pretty much sums up the situation. Dennis says, after considering everything, he's willing to offer a trial period and see how it pans out. Hopefully the situation ends up win-win for both parties. I can tell she doesn't want to quit her job as much as possible. I know the extra income comes in handy for her small family; plus, if we do allow her to bring her child along, it's the same income level for her, for less expense. We do want to keep her as much as possible too, given the list of pros above. So I hope this situation does work out and we don't regret it.
For now, at least, I think this is our best alternative. Keep your fingers crossed everything goes smoothly!
Anyway, another option has surfaced. What if we allow her to bring her son with her and stay with us from Monday to Friday (or sometimes Saturday morning)? Let's break that down into a list of pros and cons -
PROS
- She's very trustworthy; as in, I can trust her with money, jewelry, food, and basically everything and anything in my small household. And if you employ someone to be in your house by her lonesome all day long, you better have trust as the number 1 requirement.
- She's willing to be alone in the condo (or in this case, be with her son alone in the condo). Not a lot of maids are willing to do that, apparently, and I learned this yesterday from a coworker. I don't know why I didn't think of it before, but it is quite a challenge to be alone all day, everyday, save for a few minutes of interaction with me and Dennis at the start and end of each day. It takes a certain kind of personality to be able to thrive in a situation like that, and this lovely housegirl of mine is one such personality. She is content and quite used to being alone, with no one to talk to (at least no one of adult age). It's another value she brings to the table.
- She cooks really well. In Dennis' words, she's the best cook he's ever had.
- She can be relied on to do a good job with the cleaning and washing.
- She's been with my family for ages, and because of that, I can entrust her to be my eyes and ears, when later on when we have a baby and I have to employ a yaya I may not know personally (I have to be realistic), I can count on her to look out for my family's best interest and make sure the yaya toes the line. I don't know how else to explain it but she's very good for my peace of mind.
CONS
- The son will be in our care, and will be our responsibility. While I'm sure she won't allow any harm to fall onto her son, if the kid gets sick, he is our responsibility. One way to mitigate this con is immunization, and I plan to check on what the kid has gotten (and has not gotten) so far in terms of vaccine. If needed, I'll pay for the additional vaccines, if only to make sure he doesn't fall seriously ill when in our household.
- Her attention might be split, hence it may take her longer to do her work. For now, at least, this isn't a big issue, since she's free most of the time, given the small amount of work needed to maintain our 124 sqm condo. She's mostly done with her work by 1:30 or 2pm in the afternoon, and she can afford to watch tv or take a nap for an hour or two, before starting dinner prep at around 4:30.
- The son is 2 years old, and as my officemates call it, still at the terrible age of being loud, rambunctious and very capable of breaking things in the condo. While I doubt the high incidence of this, it's nothing that a bit of childproofing can't do. Also, my mother in law has had experience of help bringing in their children to live in their property. From her (and Dennis') observation, their kids are not like the kids of the owners of the house. Their kids tend to know their place and be more behaved. I don't have firsthand experience with this so I really wouldn't know. This is the one "con" that I really don't have a hard solution for, so I guess we can just figure this out as we go along. For instance, if you've seen my place, you can close the kitchen swing door and keep the kid on the other side of the condo - the kitchen/ maid's quarter's area, which is farthest from our room. Thereby minimizing the noise level...
So there. That pretty much sums up the situation. Dennis says, after considering everything, he's willing to offer a trial period and see how it pans out. Hopefully the situation ends up win-win for both parties. I can tell she doesn't want to quit her job as much as possible. I know the extra income comes in handy for her small family; plus, if we do allow her to bring her child along, it's the same income level for her, for less expense. We do want to keep her as much as possible too, given the list of pros above. So I hope this situation does work out and we don't regret it.
For now, at least, I think this is our best alternative. Keep your fingers crossed everything goes smoothly!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
housegirl problem
On top of the emotional rollercoaster caused by my grandma's condition, I have another problem looming in the horizon. My housegirl, whom Dennis & I trust completely and can cook to Atty's tummy's content, is again faced with the possibility of terminating her employment. As I said in my November 2010 post about her, she and her husband are going home in April for their son's first birthday. She told me that they've decided they do not want their son growing up away from them and that they will bring him back to Manila when they come home from the province in that April trip. Now the question is, who will take care of their son when his mom is with us from Monday to Friday every week. The plausible solution lies in the husband's younger sister, who is a 19-year-old girl still in 3rd year high school. There's an OHP program by the Deped that offers weekend classes for working students, and there's a handful of public schools that offer this program. Aha! A ray of hope! The solution can be that this girl comes to Manila with them in April and looks after the little boy JM from Monday to Friday, then on weekends, she goes to school while my housegirl takes over her rightful duties as a mom.
It's not a perfect option, though. Firstly, it assumes that the husband's parents will allow their 19-year-old probinsiyana daughter to come to Manila. Another assumption is that the OHP program of the school will accept the student (apparently, there's a huge demand for this and you need to present strong justification why you should be given a slot). Another is that the arrangement needs to work out, meaning the girl adjusts well and is able to handle the mom's duties from Mon to Fri, including keeping house.
But at least it's an option. She was visibly torn as she told me about the situation. She clearly doesn't want to leave us, partly because she needs the job but mostly because she has come to care for me and Dennis a lot. Plus she really loves my family, so she doesn't want to let us down as much as possible. However, she really doesn't want to be away from her son much longer, which I also understand.
Hay. Dennis is trying his best to find out more about the program, so we can present a good case to the husband's parents when they go home in April. But even assuming best-laid plans, if one of the factors above falls through, we'll have to face a housegirl-less situation. And my personal stand on hiring househelp is that if I can't trust the person 100%, I'd rather not hire her at all. :s
Help?
It's not a perfect option, though. Firstly, it assumes that the husband's parents will allow their 19-year-old probinsiyana daughter to come to Manila. Another assumption is that the OHP program of the school will accept the student (apparently, there's a huge demand for this and you need to present strong justification why you should be given a slot). Another is that the arrangement needs to work out, meaning the girl adjusts well and is able to handle the mom's duties from Mon to Fri, including keeping house.
But at least it's an option. She was visibly torn as she told me about the situation. She clearly doesn't want to leave us, partly because she needs the job but mostly because she has come to care for me and Dennis a lot. Plus she really loves my family, so she doesn't want to let us down as much as possible. However, she really doesn't want to be away from her son much longer, which I also understand.
Hay. Dennis is trying his best to find out more about the program, so we can present a good case to the husband's parents when they go home in April. But even assuming best-laid plans, if one of the factors above falls through, we'll have to face a housegirl-less situation. And my personal stand on hiring househelp is that if I can't trust the person 100%, I'd rather not hire her at all. :s
Help?
Thursday, March 10, 2011
K&Co Love
Lately, I've been buying so many K&CO dresses - the jersey ones that are so light and soft to wear! I love them soooo much! And I was so happy to find some on sale last night - roughly P1000 to P1200 each! What a deal!
At the back of my mind, I also can't help but wonder if I'm doing this in preparation for the next stage in my life, where loose, comfy dresses would be a daily uniform rather than an occasional treat. Granted, I've been feeling so comfortable in dresses that jeans and slacks suddenly feel constricting. But I also wonder if this is my way of prepping myself for pregnancy. Everyone who knows me knows that I like to plan, and plan ahead at that, so maybe it's not such a far-fetched idea. :P
Just wanted to share that. This is an I LOVE K&CO post :)
At the back of my mind, I also can't help but wonder if I'm doing this in preparation for the next stage in my life, where loose, comfy dresses would be a daily uniform rather than an occasional treat. Granted, I've been feeling so comfortable in dresses that jeans and slacks suddenly feel constricting. But I also wonder if this is my way of prepping myself for pregnancy. Everyone who knows me knows that I like to plan, and plan ahead at that, so maybe it's not such a far-fetched idea. :P
Just wanted to share that. This is an I LOVE K&CO post :)
Monday, March 07, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
silver-related post
It may sound really cheesy but I still get so kilig whenever I come home to my husband or he comes home to me, depending on who's home first. I love making discoveries about him, no matter how small, like how he chooses what to wear in the morning or how he likes his coffee made. I love waking up next to him and have little top-of-the-morning chats... or late-night, don't-go-to-sleep-yet-talk-to-me-first conversations about anything or everything. I love our little debates over what to watch on tv or our little fantasy-filled discussions about the future. I love being with him, all the time- and whenever we part, I look forward to when I'm seeing him next, even if it's just 6 or 10 hours later.
I don't know if this is just all part of the honeymoon stage, but I soooo wish it will never end. I had some recent run-ins with people carrying marriage problems on their shoulders and wonder if they ever had these little honeymoon-stage moments of glee. And if they did, did these moments just stop, or is it due to the stress of marriage's everyday hassles or the seemingly inevitable distance created when children come along? What possibly happened to take them from where Dennis and I are now to a co-habitation filled with errands, issues and problems?
Sometimes I think marriage is like a sterling silver bracelet from Tiffany's (which incidentally was Dennis' surprise gift for me). Sterling silver may dull after some time, and this is due to everyday wear. Inevitably, dirt or libag (hehe) or residue from sweat, perfume, pollution, etc envelop the silver, causing it to dull and lose its shine. But all it needs to go back to its original pristine state is the alertness and attention you pay to it - to realize when the wear is already affecting its brilliance and shine - and the discipline (and sometimes humility) to make the effort to polish the silver, to make the true shine come out. Obviously, if you never take the time to pay attention and make the effort, there will come a time when you realize you're just wearing a piece of dirt-ridden and libag-heavy metal on your wrist, and you can no longer see the beauty of what once made your heart go pitter-patter.
May this blog post serve as a reminder to me to always remember to take the time out to "polish our silver". It's okay to deal with life's everyday problems - someone's got to- and it's okay to prioritize your children on an ongoing basis, because they need you more. But make the effort to "do the polish".. and do it often. As with cleaning anything in the house, the more regularly you do it, the easier it is to wipe off the grime :)
I don't know if this is just all part of the honeymoon stage, but I soooo wish it will never end. I had some recent run-ins with people carrying marriage problems on their shoulders and wonder if they ever had these little honeymoon-stage moments of glee. And if they did, did these moments just stop, or is it due to the stress of marriage's everyday hassles or the seemingly inevitable distance created when children come along? What possibly happened to take them from where Dennis and I are now to a co-habitation filled with errands, issues and problems?
Sometimes I think marriage is like a sterling silver bracelet from Tiffany's (which incidentally was Dennis' surprise gift for me). Sterling silver may dull after some time, and this is due to everyday wear. Inevitably, dirt or libag (hehe) or residue from sweat, perfume, pollution, etc envelop the silver, causing it to dull and lose its shine. But all it needs to go back to its original pristine state is the alertness and attention you pay to it - to realize when the wear is already affecting its brilliance and shine - and the discipline (and sometimes humility) to make the effort to polish the silver, to make the true shine come out. Obviously, if you never take the time to pay attention and make the effort, there will come a time when you realize you're just wearing a piece of dirt-ridden and libag-heavy metal on your wrist, and you can no longer see the beauty of what once made your heart go pitter-patter.
May this blog post serve as a reminder to me to always remember to take the time out to "polish our silver". It's okay to deal with life's everyday problems - someone's got to- and it's okay to prioritize your children on an ongoing basis, because they need you more. But make the effort to "do the polish".. and do it often. As with cleaning anything in the house, the more regularly you do it, the easier it is to wipe off the grime :)
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Surprise!!!
Atty surprised me yesterday with this! After we had just come home from a dinner out with his future business partner (in a really chi-chi place where everything was expensively good), I immediately showered and hankered for the bed thereafter, wanting to hit the sack asap. So imagine my surprise when I took off the covers of our bed and found this underneath, waiting for me. Awww. I hit him for catching me so off-guard, but inwardly I was loving it to the max! Hahaha!
Such a sweet gesture! More than the actual gift, I loved what it's for, what it means, and the whole unveiling process it went through :) Thank you!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
dragon vs dog
OK, so this afternoon, my husband and I were told by my mother-in-law that her sister-in-law (dami namang law in this sentence) commented about our plans of having a "dragon baby", i.e. a baby born in the year of the Dragon, which starts in late-Jan 2012. Apparently, since I was born in the year of the Dog, I am "chiong" (literally means contra) to a dragon-born. Hence, it would not be preferable for me to bear a dragon baby. Not that it's dangerous or anything, but in our culture, "chiong" means, at the minimum, the two sides zero-out or cancel-out each other. If one is having good luck, the other isn't, so net-net, the total of the equation is a zero. So, if you're "chiong" to the animal sign of 2011, you're generally told to be more careful, stay close to home and avoid long trips and basically look out because you're more vulnerable to weakness.
Another "hence" in the "comment" given today: We ought to procreate SOON so as to have a rabbit-born baby, instead of crossing over the mark next year and have a, gasp, dragon-baby, just as we originally planned.
Gosh! For one, good job, mother-in-law's sister-in-law! We didn't ask you, and seriously, did you just have to share your "comments"? For another, it's not that we were dead-set on a dragon baby, because we're not. But it's just disconcerting (as a POTENTIAL MOTHER-TO-BE) to hear that my baby will be "contra" with me, seeing as how I'm the child's mother and therefore he/she would only be alive in the world due to my participation in the matter. As I told Dennis this afternoon, "I'm the child's mother. I don't know how we can be "at odds" right away. At least give the child 12 years of existence before he/she can rebel against me during the teenage years!"
TSK TSK TSK!
Hay. This culture of ours can sometimes be so overbearing. So many "shoulds" and "shouldn'ts", padded by "just a suggestion" or "it won't hurt if..." Hay.
Anyway, I'm glad I have a mature husband who just smiled and said we can compromise by bumping up our "we'll start trying" period from mid-year to after-Europe, which is late April. Then we just leave it up to the child (or fate) to choose when he/she wants to be born. Does he/she want to be a rabbit? Or a dragon? Either way is fine with mommy and daddy :) Sounds good, right? I felt better, after experiencing a few seconds of ickiness after receiving the suggestion. Sounds like a plan :)
Hay. This just goes to show - Unsolicited comments never ever work out.
Another "hence" in the "comment" given today: We ought to procreate SOON so as to have a rabbit-born baby, instead of crossing over the mark next year and have a, gasp, dragon-baby, just as we originally planned.
Gosh! For one, good job, mother-in-law's sister-in-law! We didn't ask you, and seriously, did you just have to share your "comments"? For another, it's not that we were dead-set on a dragon baby, because we're not. But it's just disconcerting (as a POTENTIAL MOTHER-TO-BE) to hear that my baby will be "contra" with me, seeing as how I'm the child's mother and therefore he/she would only be alive in the world due to my participation in the matter. As I told Dennis this afternoon, "I'm the child's mother. I don't know how we can be "at odds" right away. At least give the child 12 years of existence before he/she can rebel against me during the teenage years!"
TSK TSK TSK!
Hay. This culture of ours can sometimes be so overbearing. So many "shoulds" and "shouldn'ts", padded by "just a suggestion" or "it won't hurt if..." Hay.
Anyway, I'm glad I have a mature husband who just smiled and said we can compromise by bumping up our "we'll start trying" period from mid-year to after-Europe, which is late April. Then we just leave it up to the child (or fate) to choose when he/she wants to be born. Does he/she want to be a rabbit? Or a dragon? Either way is fine with mommy and daddy :) Sounds good, right? I felt better, after experiencing a few seconds of ickiness after receiving the suggestion. Sounds like a plan :)
Hay. This just goes to show - Unsolicited comments never ever work out.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Suddenly February
What happened?! All of a sudden, we're approaching mid-February! 3 working days to go before our VISA appointment at the French Embassy! Next thing we know, it'll be summertime and time to go to Europe! (yipeee!)
The other day, Atty turned to me and said "When are we having a baby?" Awwww. I can't even tell you how touching that moment was. I'm grateful to have such a mature husband, ready (and very much willing!) to be a father. I know some guys who'd rather wait (or sometimes categorically refuse to have a child), and I'm so thankful :) I told him time's flashing by so fast, before he knows it, it'll be mid-year and, before he can blink a second time, we'll be on our way to start a family.
I think this incident was spurred by the ff key things:
1. We're so settled in our home life already. Even if we've only been married for 5 months (woah, 5 months!), we've gotten so settled in our daily routine and in our little condo. We've established a life together already and, at least I think so, have made firm and stable roots upon which a small family can grow :)
2. We're ready. We're just emotionally, mentally ready to have a child. Granted, the finances can get some more improvement, but more or less we're there already. The only thing probably missing would be our long trip somewhere far, which will already materialize in 2 months. After that, we've ticked off all the boxes :)
3. Everyone's waiting. And by this, I mean everyone. His family, my family, our friends, our officemates. Everybody. Including us :P It's the next step, and everyone's excited to see us make it.
That's pretty much it. Just wanted to document Dennis' vocal request for a child, because I just found it so touching and endearing. I hope when we finally get our turn to have sleepless nights and have to endure toddler tantrums and cries, he'll remember this moment, when he asked for a baby. Wa ha ha ha ha! :p
The other day, Atty turned to me and said "When are we having a baby?" Awwww. I can't even tell you how touching that moment was. I'm grateful to have such a mature husband, ready (and very much willing!) to be a father. I know some guys who'd rather wait (or sometimes categorically refuse to have a child), and I'm so thankful :) I told him time's flashing by so fast, before he knows it, it'll be mid-year and, before he can blink a second time, we'll be on our way to start a family.
I think this incident was spurred by the ff key things:
1. We're so settled in our home life already. Even if we've only been married for 5 months (woah, 5 months!), we've gotten so settled in our daily routine and in our little condo. We've established a life together already and, at least I think so, have made firm and stable roots upon which a small family can grow :)
2. We're ready. We're just emotionally, mentally ready to have a child. Granted, the finances can get some more improvement, but more or less we're there already. The only thing probably missing would be our long trip somewhere far, which will already materialize in 2 months. After that, we've ticked off all the boxes :)
3. Everyone's waiting. And by this, I mean everyone. His family, my family, our friends, our officemates. Everybody. Including us :P It's the next step, and everyone's excited to see us make it.
That's pretty much it. Just wanted to document Dennis' vocal request for a child, because I just found it so touching and endearing. I hope when we finally get our turn to have sleepless nights and have to endure toddler tantrums and cries, he'll remember this moment, when he asked for a baby. Wa ha ha ha ha! :p
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
A Tod's bag I actually like :)
I'd probably get a different color since something this light definitely has denim-transfer problems, but I'm really really really liking this new bag from Tods. It's called the Shirt Bag due to the drawstring top.
Isn't it cute? :)
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Europe Trip 2011 Checkpoint :)
OK, to say that I'm excited about this trip is a DEFINITE understatement. Counting-down-the-months-psyched is more like it :)
I have a confession to make. A good number of my time at the office these days is spent looking up activities we can do, filling up our itinerary and putting together hotel options. I also can't wait to read the guidebooks we have on Paris and Rome - the two destinations covering Europe Trip 2011 (I'm so excited that even my Windows password in the office is Europe2011 :P ). To take stock of the trip-planning progress so far:
1. Tickets: We have all the airplane tickets already - from Manila to KL, KL to Paris, Paris to Rome, and the other way around.
2. Hotels: Only the KL room has been booked so far. I'm still working on the options for the others - it's harder to finalize if you only have a certain budget to work with (yet you also want a good location and breakfast to be included)
3. VISA: We've made a booking already with the French embassy, which is notorious for being both slow and busy. It takes about a month to get a schedule, would you believe?! Good thing I'm a planner, so we have more than enough time to secure a VISA.
That's about it so far. I'll make another update in a month's time (or sooner, depending on whether or not I can hold my excitement) :P
I have a confession to make. A good number of my time at the office these days is spent looking up activities we can do, filling up our itinerary and putting together hotel options. I also can't wait to read the guidebooks we have on Paris and Rome - the two destinations covering Europe Trip 2011 (I'm so excited that even my Windows password in the office is Europe2011 :P ). To take stock of the trip-planning progress so far:
1. Tickets: We have all the airplane tickets already - from Manila to KL, KL to Paris, Paris to Rome, and the other way around.
2. Hotels: Only the KL room has been booked so far. I'm still working on the options for the others - it's harder to finalize if you only have a certain budget to work with (yet you also want a good location and breakfast to be included)
3. VISA: We've made a booking already with the French embassy, which is notorious for being both slow and busy. It takes about a month to get a schedule, would you believe?! Good thing I'm a planner, so we have more than enough time to secure a VISA.
That's about it so far. I'll make another update in a month's time (or sooner, depending on whether or not I can hold my excitement) :P
Thursday, January 13, 2011
stained glass bulb
I'm really liking this! Hopefully, one of the hardware stores here start to carry it. I think it'll suit our lamps at home :)
Thursday, January 06, 2011
biz talk
One of my reasons for taking an MBA is to better equip myself when the time comes that I want to venture into entrepreneurship. Now that I target closing out my MBA career by the end of the next school year (essentially, by March 2012), I'm now hard-pressed to think of my business idea and concept. I know these things don't just emerge on demand, so I want to start thinking of it as early as now. And if possible, I'll make my Strama (strategic management) paper on the business topic I settle on, so that the effort becomes even more worthwhile, since it'll be truly useful to me even after graduation.
But what is this elusive idea?! I've been racking my brains since early last year but have been more purposive in thinking of it after I got married. What do I want to get into? I know for sure I plan to keep my day job, so definitely it has to be something I can either manage remotely (like online, for example), something that I can confine my free time to (i.e. only do after office hours), or something I only need to jumpstart but can run on its own afterwards. Also, I don't have millions to invest,so something that can start off with a manageable amount would be best.
So what is this idea? I came up with an idea late last year but not sure where to take it afterwards. I'm also not sure if I need partners to make it happen.
Ho hum... Think think think... Hopefully the answer comes to me in a dream or something. Hehehe.
P.S. Can I just add how SUPER DUPER ADORABLE my husband is? He was thinking of ways to augment our income that he signed up for paid surveys! How cute is that?! :)
But what is this elusive idea?! I've been racking my brains since early last year but have been more purposive in thinking of it after I got married. What do I want to get into? I know for sure I plan to keep my day job, so definitely it has to be something I can either manage remotely (like online, for example), something that I can confine my free time to (i.e. only do after office hours), or something I only need to jumpstart but can run on its own afterwards. Also, I don't have millions to invest,so something that can start off with a manageable amount would be best.
So what is this idea? I came up with an idea late last year but not sure where to take it afterwards. I'm also not sure if I need partners to make it happen.
Ho hum... Think think think... Hopefully the answer comes to me in a dream or something. Hehehe.
P.S. Can I just add how SUPER DUPER ADORABLE my husband is? He was thinking of ways to augment our income that he signed up for paid surveys! How cute is that?! :)
Friday, December 31, 2010
Goodbye 2010! Hello 2011! :)
As this fantastic year comes to a close, I look back at all the milestones that made it super special and one-of-a-kind. Not only did I marry the love of my life, I also went through so many transitions and saw a couple of friends do the same. A lot of blessings marked this year, and for that, I am truly grateful. I know that 2010 was not always about positive things - there were tragedies too like the hostage crisis - but at least for my personal life, it was nothing short of perfect. Thank you to God and to the universe for gifting me with the glorious year that is 2010. And a big hello to 2011! Here's to a more love-filled, blessing-full and happy year ahead, dotted with many travels and many new experiences :)
Friday, December 24, 2010
the award goes to.....
Today, I was hit with a thought. Maybe everyone feels this way about their husbands, but if there was ever a BEST HUSBAND contest or search, I'll enter mine in a heartbeat. I'd challenge anyone else's hubby to prove themselves more devoted, more understanding, more thoughtful, more selfless, more emotionally mature and more pure-hearted than my husband. I love love love love love this man to bits, and even then, even as I strive to love him in deeper, richer ways than I did yesterday, he always seems to do it better. I don't know how else to express it- just that I definitely lucked out and got the best husband anyone can ever dream of :D
And with that, Merry Christmas to one and all! Hahaha! And most important of all, Merry Christmas to the best Christmas gift I have gotten and will ever hope to get in the years to come. You are the biggest blessing in my life.
And with that, Merry Christmas to one and all! Hahaha! And most important of all, Merry Christmas to the best Christmas gift I have gotten and will ever hope to get in the years to come. You are the biggest blessing in my life.
Thursday, December 09, 2010
change upon change
Had dinner the other night with a friend who's recently married (about 6 weeks married) and who is also newly pregnant (9 weeks pregnant) - Yeah, do the math ;) - Anyway, she was just telling me how overwhelmed she feels, having only tied the knot and gone on her honeymoon. She hasn't even had the time to feel married yet, and now there's a new adjustment to tackle - one that had its own clock and cannot be ignored. While she's ecstatic over the baby and being a mom, a part of her cannot help but feel that things are moving way too fast and wishes she can pause time to be able to have the chance to enjoy each new change, before the next change came along. She and her husband haven't even found the time yet to move into their new place, and they're currently staying at her folks' place, because she doesn't feel very well during the day while he's at work so he didn't want her to be all alone in their new townhouse. So again, no time to feel totally and truly married. And now, there's a bun in the oven.
I totally understood this point of view and immediately felt grateful to have had this time with Dennis to feel truly married. As I told some girlfriends this afternoon, there's a slight chance we may end the year 2010 with another piece of news, and if it does happen, I'm okay with it since we've had these 3 months of marital bliss. I can't imagine not having had any time to go through this transition in to being a wife, and be able to only focus on that transition and relish it.
Speaking of which, can I just say, how annoying I find it when people try to "scare" me into having a child already, by quoting other people's experiences and difficulties in conceiving. Believe me, my sympathies are totally with these people. I can only imagine the disappointment over not getting something you truly truly want, or worse, the heartbreak over finding out you're physically unable to give your partner a child. I do not wish it on my worst enemy, and pray that neither me or anyone close to me would have to go through such an ordeal... But please, don't use these as scare tactics or worse, say things like "you're making a mistake and you don't even know it" because they do not help anyone at all. None of these comments are ever solicited, and for that, I now pledge never ever to comment on someone's childless marriage. It can only be either of two reasons: the couple doesn't feel ready to have a child or they are unable to, despite the desire and intention to have one. Either way, it's not a topic for public consumption and it's definitely something to bring up in casual conversation. If it's volunteered, then that's a different case. I just feel it's insensitive and maybe now that we've been married for 3 months, I've noticed the increase in such comments and questions. And strangely, they all come from people I barely even know. Geez.
Ok, let's end this with a positive note. It's 16 days to go before Christmas- my first Christmas with Dennis as his wife- and I can't wait to spend the holidays! I'm on break starting 21 and am now thinking of ways to fill in this time, as Dennis still has work. I plan to cook and/or bake, finish up our holiday shopping, deliver our gifts and maybe plan for our France trip :) I've already shortlisted some hotels, and need to put together our VISA requirements. Exciting!!! ;p
I totally understood this point of view and immediately felt grateful to have had this time with Dennis to feel truly married. As I told some girlfriends this afternoon, there's a slight chance we may end the year 2010 with another piece of news, and if it does happen, I'm okay with it since we've had these 3 months of marital bliss. I can't imagine not having had any time to go through this transition in to being a wife, and be able to only focus on that transition and relish it.
Speaking of which, can I just say, how annoying I find it when people try to "scare" me into having a child already, by quoting other people's experiences and difficulties in conceiving. Believe me, my sympathies are totally with these people. I can only imagine the disappointment over not getting something you truly truly want, or worse, the heartbreak over finding out you're physically unable to give your partner a child. I do not wish it on my worst enemy, and pray that neither me or anyone close to me would have to go through such an ordeal... But please, don't use these as scare tactics or worse, say things like "you're making a mistake and you don't even know it" because they do not help anyone at all. None of these comments are ever solicited, and for that, I now pledge never ever to comment on someone's childless marriage. It can only be either of two reasons: the couple doesn't feel ready to have a child or they are unable to, despite the desire and intention to have one. Either way, it's not a topic for public consumption and it's definitely something to bring up in casual conversation. If it's volunteered, then that's a different case. I just feel it's insensitive and maybe now that we've been married for 3 months, I've noticed the increase in such comments and questions. And strangely, they all come from people I barely even know. Geez.
Ok, let's end this with a positive note. It's 16 days to go before Christmas- my first Christmas with Dennis as his wife- and I can't wait to spend the holidays! I'm on break starting 21 and am now thinking of ways to fill in this time, as Dennis still has work. I plan to cook and/or bake, finish up our holiday shopping, deliver our gifts and maybe plan for our France trip :) I've already shortlisted some hotels, and need to put together our VISA requirements. Exciting!!! ;p
Monday, November 29, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
PARIS!
We're headed to Paris in April of next year! Woooohoooo!!!
Thanks to Air Asia, we're flying there from KL at a super low price, and during Holy Week pa! I can't believe our luck! I loooove low-cost airlines! More money for hotel & accomodations :)
I especially love this trip because we've been hoping to be able to take a long trip somewhere far, like Europe or NYC, before Q3 of next year, which is when we plan to start getting pregnant. BUT we also don't want to spend too much, keeping in mind our other responsibilities.
So this chance couldn't possibly have come at a better time, at a better price or for a better place! What better city to visit than Paris, to "cap off" the time in our marriage when it's just the 2 of us? :) Perfection! I LOVE IT!
Thanks to Air Asia, we're flying there from KL at a super low price, and during Holy Week pa! I can't believe our luck! I loooove low-cost airlines! More money for hotel & accomodations :)
I especially love this trip because we've been hoping to be able to take a long trip somewhere far, like Europe or NYC, before Q3 of next year, which is when we plan to start getting pregnant. BUT we also don't want to spend too much, keeping in mind our other responsibilities.
So this chance couldn't possibly have come at a better time, at a better price or for a better place! What better city to visit than Paris, to "cap off" the time in our marriage when it's just the 2 of us? :) Perfection! I LOVE IT!
Friday, November 12, 2010
well-maid
This is what happens when you employ someone whom you need more than she needs you. The househelp we have now used to work for my mom when I was still in high school and college - she left us about 4 years ago to get married and get pregnant. She now has a 1.5 year old kid, whom she and her husband had to ship off to Davao so that she can come and work for us. My and my mom's spiel to her to convince her to come under my employ is that she will be able to save money for her son's future education. We reminded her that the work involved in being our maid is not that big - our condo barely needs an hour's worth of cleaning per day, and she and her husband will still be able to see each other every weekend (yes, I let her go home every Saturday morning and have her back by Monday morning the following week).
It took some discussion for her and her husband to finally agree to this arrangement. They had to take their son to Davao to leave him with his parents, and then she finally started with us about 3 weeks ago.
This morning, she tearfully told me that her mother-in-law reported that her son has been having a hard time sleeping at night, and even has on-and-off fever, presumably from missing his mother. He would cry out at odd hours at night: "mama!" Her husband is also facing some changes at work, and after some thought, might end up earning even less from his current job. Hence, they're now entertaining the idea of just going home to Davao and settling there. Either that or they bring their kid back to Manila and just find some other work here that will enable them to be together as a family.
As much as I feel for her, especially since her baby is still so young and she's a first-time mom, I also can't help but be a little selfish in this instance. I know I don't need a full-time maid, and can even manage with a stay-out, but I need someone I can trust.. someone I can leave my home with during the day and trust that nothing will go missing. And that's the part that's tough to find.
Oh well. We ended our talk with me telling her to discuss December plans with her husband this weekend. I ended up allowing her a week off in December too - told her to pick between the week of Christmas or the week of New Year's. I hadn't run this through my husband yet, but I figure at her current state, I had to make a concession to allow her to see her baby. I also told her that I can allow her another week off in April when her baby turns 2.
Any tips? :s
It took some discussion for her and her husband to finally agree to this arrangement. They had to take their son to Davao to leave him with his parents, and then she finally started with us about 3 weeks ago.
This morning, she tearfully told me that her mother-in-law reported that her son has been having a hard time sleeping at night, and even has on-and-off fever, presumably from missing his mother. He would cry out at odd hours at night: "mama!" Her husband is also facing some changes at work, and after some thought, might end up earning even less from his current job. Hence, they're now entertaining the idea of just going home to Davao and settling there. Either that or they bring their kid back to Manila and just find some other work here that will enable them to be together as a family.
As much as I feel for her, especially since her baby is still so young and she's a first-time mom, I also can't help but be a little selfish in this instance. I know I don't need a full-time maid, and can even manage with a stay-out, but I need someone I can trust.. someone I can leave my home with during the day and trust that nothing will go missing. And that's the part that's tough to find.
Oh well. We ended our talk with me telling her to discuss December plans with her husband this weekend. I ended up allowing her a week off in December too - told her to pick between the week of Christmas or the week of New Year's. I hadn't run this through my husband yet, but I figure at her current state, I had to make a concession to allow her to see her baby. I also told her that I can allow her another week off in April when her baby turns 2.
Any tips? :s
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
8 weeks to go...
until this year is over! I can't believe how fast time flew by this year, more than any other year (that I've been alive, that is :P )
We've also been married for 7 weeks now (which reminds me, I need to follow up Pat Dy on our wedding photos), and I must say, it's been quite a happy ride. I'm just allowing myself these next 8 weeks to acclimatize and get used to being a wife, but as early as now, I'll lay out my goals for next year. I've put the key words in highlight, just for emphasis. Hehe... here goes:
1. Learn to cook. Not just heat things up in the oven.
2. Seriously keep track of our expenses (I've stopped monitoring since the latter part of the wedding planning process since the numbers kept increasing and it was getting quite depressing) and strive to maintain a healthy savings rate.
3. Work towards my promotion to Senior Manager. I know this may not entirely be within my control, but I want to make the effort anyhow. This way, even if I don't get it, no regrets. I'm still happy with my company and my job, but we need to move forward, not stay still :)
4. Go back to teaching and finish up the remaining 3 terms for my MBA degree.
5. Get preggers (Q3 2011 onwards!)
8 weeks to go til 2010 is history, but I figure for the above tall orders, I need these 8 weeks to ready myself :) I CAN DO THIS!
We've also been married for 7 weeks now (which reminds me, I need to follow up Pat Dy on our wedding photos), and I must say, it's been quite a happy ride. I'm just allowing myself these next 8 weeks to acclimatize and get used to being a wife, but as early as now, I'll lay out my goals for next year. I've put the key words in highlight, just for emphasis. Hehe... here goes:
1. Learn to cook. Not just heat things up in the oven.
2. Seriously keep track of our expenses (I've stopped monitoring since the latter part of the wedding planning process since the numbers kept increasing and it was getting quite depressing) and strive to maintain a healthy savings rate.
3. Work towards my promotion to Senior Manager. I know this may not entirely be within my control, but I want to make the effort anyhow. This way, even if I don't get it, no regrets. I'm still happy with my company and my job, but we need to move forward, not stay still :)
4. Go back to teaching and finish up the remaining 3 terms for my MBA degree.
5. Get preggers (Q3 2011 onwards!)
8 weeks to go til 2010 is history, but I figure for the above tall orders, I need these 8 weeks to ready myself :) I CAN DO THIS!
Friday, October 22, 2010
The Return of the Yoga
So, I have even more reasons now to go back to yoga, principally to ready my body for a child-bearing future ;) The trick now is to muster enough effort to jumpstart a yoga pattern all over again, and STAY ON IT. The trouble with me and fitness is the consistency - I've tried going to the gym and doing yoga, but the problem for me is keeping it up. Hopefully this time it'll stick. I do love the practice, it's just that sometimes lethargy and laziness get the better of me.
But now I have more reasons. So hopefully the return of the yoga doesn't involve stopping at a later date. Cross your fingers!! ;P
But now I have more reasons. So hopefully the return of the yoga doesn't involve stopping at a later date. Cross your fingers!! ;P
Friday, October 15, 2010
Back to regular programming...
OK, so our two weeks worth of honeymooning is over and we're now back to regular life. I must say that while the actual trips that make up the "honeymoon" are over, we're still at the honeymoon stage, and I really really like it. Wish there's a way I can extend it over months and months and months to go. I love the excitement I feel whenever I get back to our condo after work, hoping to see Dennis already there or getting excited over setting the table and heating up our dinner, so that when he does step into the condo, warm dinner is there to greet him. I'm so amazed at the many things I'm discovering about him now that we live together - small things that seem insignificant in the overall picture of life but are amazingly adorable nonetheless (at least for me, the woman who swore to love him through thick and thin).
Many people have asked me if (1) I'm pregnant or (2) I have found things about him that annoy me now that we live together. The first question is often asked by people most remotely close to me, so usually it doesn't merit an honest answer. But if you do wanna know the real score, nope, we're not yet pregnant because we're making sure to follow our plan. We'd like to get pregnant no sooner than Q3 next year, in time for 2012 - which is both a dragon year and the year I'm done with my MBA.
As for the second item, I find this quite funny everytime someone asks me. If forced to answer, I'd attribute the one and only annoying "discovery" to his snoring. The first few nights of this marriage were all about sleeplessness to me, because it was tough getting used to this constant stream of noise next to me, when I've been used to a quiet room all my life. It wasn't that bad- mind you- but again, if forced to answer, I would say it's that. Apart from the snoring, nothing else has grated on my nerves, at least not yet. Let's not discount any possibility of that happening when the HM phase is over. Hahaha!
And now back to my original point, we're back to real life. Back to being just a regular husband and wife, not anymore googly-eyed honeymooners greeted by the hotel concierge nightly or congratulated by the front-desk staff. We're settling into a routine of our own and having our nightly rituals of watching teleseryes (for me), getting massages, playing family computer or having movie nights. I must say, marriage is an adjustment, but it's a fun one, filled with new experiences and discoveries. Plus, the newly-acquired independence is very liberating, albeit a bit scary. Proven by our first night back from HM Phase 1 in Singapore when Dennis pulled something in his back, woke up in the middle of night almost crying with pain, and I had to bring him to the ER of Makati Med. I performed quite well, if I may say so myself, but having to be in full charge of someone, without the constant help and guidance of mothers, is quite daunting. I hope I learn fast, and get the hang of things soon enough :) Or else, poor husband :p
That's it for now. Can't believe I'm now a "misis". Whoever says married life w/o kids feels like bahay-bahayan is either underestimating the fun-ness of married life or has a boring husband.
Haha!
Many people have asked me if (1) I'm pregnant or (2) I have found things about him that annoy me now that we live together. The first question is often asked by people most remotely close to me, so usually it doesn't merit an honest answer. But if you do wanna know the real score, nope, we're not yet pregnant because we're making sure to follow our plan. We'd like to get pregnant no sooner than Q3 next year, in time for 2012 - which is both a dragon year and the year I'm done with my MBA.
As for the second item, I find this quite funny everytime someone asks me. If forced to answer, I'd attribute the one and only annoying "discovery" to his snoring. The first few nights of this marriage were all about sleeplessness to me, because it was tough getting used to this constant stream of noise next to me, when I've been used to a quiet room all my life. It wasn't that bad- mind you- but again, if forced to answer, I would say it's that. Apart from the snoring, nothing else has grated on my nerves, at least not yet. Let's not discount any possibility of that happening when the HM phase is over. Hahaha!
And now back to my original point, we're back to real life. Back to being just a regular husband and wife, not anymore googly-eyed honeymooners greeted by the hotel concierge nightly or congratulated by the front-desk staff. We're settling into a routine of our own and having our nightly rituals of watching teleseryes (for me), getting massages, playing family computer or having movie nights. I must say, marriage is an adjustment, but it's a fun one, filled with new experiences and discoveries. Plus, the newly-acquired independence is very liberating, albeit a bit scary. Proven by our first night back from HM Phase 1 in Singapore when Dennis pulled something in his back, woke up in the middle of night almost crying with pain, and I had to bring him to the ER of Makati Med. I performed quite well, if I may say so myself, but having to be in full charge of someone, without the constant help and guidance of mothers, is quite daunting. I hope I learn fast, and get the hang of things soon enough :) Or else, poor husband :p
That's it for now. Can't believe I'm now a "misis". Whoever says married life w/o kids feels like bahay-bahayan is either underestimating the fun-ness of married life or has a boring husband.
Haha!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
MARRIED!!!
I love it! I highly recommend being married :) I love love love love love it! :) We've never spent this much time together, yet it doesn't seem to be enough :)
Friday, September 10, 2010
last single weekend :)
It's my last weekend at home (at least when I can still call it my one and only home), and my last weekend as a single person. Quite happy too that Noynoy made it an official holiday, so the weekend lasts a little bit longer :) I guess most girls who get married go through this period of sentimentality too. I realize I will no longer have a room all to myself now, and I will definitely miss this room I grew up in. Last night, I was fixing my desk and found so many old cards and letters - I just got sentimental over everything that went down in this room- all the sleepovers with friends, the nights spent up studying or watching tv or just chatting away at the landline. While I am excited over the idea of starting a new life together with Atty, I also can't help but feel wistful over the life I'm leaving behind. It's been a good 27-something years indeed :) I thank God and my family for it :)
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
17 days to go!
And the list of small things just keep on piling up.
FIGHT! :)
17 days to go til I become Mrs. Chan! :)
FIGHT! :)
17 days to go til I become Mrs. Chan! :)
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
frenemies
Is it normal to have a friend rub you the wrong way or get on your nerves so many times over a period of a few days?
Hehehe.
Hehehe.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
A love entry for my room
OK, three weeks to go til the big day! I realized a few days ago that one of the biggest things I'll miss after I get married is my room. I think it's the best symbol for my single life - it bore witness to those late-nights of studying for classes, movie marathons and hours and hours on the phone with Dennis. It houses all of my (precious and not-so-precious) possessions, and things that I have to show for my almost 7 years of working. It's my "safe place" for the past 27 years of my life, and it's where I go to unwind and relax and just "be" after a long day. I'll miss the routine I have every morning after waking up and every night before going to bed. I'll miss the silence and the occasional noise created when one of my brothers or parents burst into the room with some piece of news or kuwento to share. I'll miss all those times I had this room all to myself, because 24 days from today, I won't have a room all to myself anymore.
If I could just hug my room, I would. :p Hehehe.
If I could just hug my room, I would. :p Hehehe.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Home Stretch!!!
I know we've been engaged for more than a year, but it's like I blinked and suddenly, we're one month away from the BIG DAY! OMG!
Glad to report though that most of our action items have been accomplished already:
- Condo just needs to have furniture delivered by Sept 8 and then we're complete.
- All big items in the wedding preps are done. Invites are also given out already. Just need to :
(1) Create and finalize seating chart (2) Print misalettes & menu cards (3) Have final fitting (4) Meet Li and Karen when they come home and go to fittings with them (5) Buy bible (haha I almost forgot about this item)
- Dowry stuff is more or less ready. Just needs to be wrapped.
I'm pretty proud of myself. Definitely NO 3-week panic.
Can't wait for 9/19! :)
Glad to report though that most of our action items have been accomplished already:
- Condo just needs to have furniture delivered by Sept 8 and then we're complete.
- All big items in the wedding preps are done. Invites are also given out already. Just need to :
(1) Create and finalize seating chart (2) Print misalettes & menu cards (3) Have final fitting (4) Meet Li and Karen when they come home and go to fittings with them (5) Buy bible (haha I almost forgot about this item)
- Dowry stuff is more or less ready. Just needs to be wrapped.
I'm pretty proud of myself. Definitely NO 3-week panic.
Can't wait for 9/19! :)
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Project Home Wrap-up!
Glad to report that Project Home is now 99% done! Save for : (1) delivery of maid's room bed and cabinet ; (2) replacement of insect screen of guest room ; (3) overall general cleaning of the condo, we are done! Yahooooo!!!! It's such a great feeling and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment - to know what we started with and see how far we've come! I also learned so many lessons along the way, which made for good practice for the time in the future when we'll build our house.
1. Cheap is good but ain't always the best way to go, especially with people : We've been blessed with a good contractor- someone who's honest, straightforward and very easy to talk to. She not only takes the time to explain details to me, she also makes it a point that we work within the budget we have yet still get the best options available. She also has "malasakit" which is 100% important when you're doing anything construction-related. Since we're not experts in this field, having a contractor that genuinely wants your place to be as good as it can be is probably the most critical factor.
2. I am proud to say that I know so much more about construction that I did coming into this project. I now know how waterproofing works, what kind of tiles work best, how bathroom fixtures are installed, how lighting should be distributed, etc. We also learned the hard way that there are many possible materials to use for furniture and not all are of good-quality, even if they may appear to be so. Lessons learned.
3. You can't go wrong with classic. If in doubt, go for simpler or plainer designs. You won't regret it. Just like with fashion, I guess. Coz you have to live with your place every day, all day, so make sure you won't get sick of that design or that color scheme :)
That's it for now. I'm so happy with how Project Home turned out. And let me take this chance to say a huge THANK YOU to You Up There for showering us with the means to put together this project and make it happen. I'm also so proud of us for having pulled this off on our own. We did have a bit of help here and there from our parents but the bulk of it is off of our blood, sweat and tears, and while we're coming out of this definitely poorer (and with credit breathing down our backs), I'm so proud of this home that we can proudly call ours. OURS. You and me.
Hope I can post pics sometime. Let's see, where's my camera??? :p
1. Cheap is good but ain't always the best way to go, especially with people : We've been blessed with a good contractor- someone who's honest, straightforward and very easy to talk to. She not only takes the time to explain details to me, she also makes it a point that we work within the budget we have yet still get the best options available. She also has "malasakit" which is 100% important when you're doing anything construction-related. Since we're not experts in this field, having a contractor that genuinely wants your place to be as good as it can be is probably the most critical factor.
2. I am proud to say that I know so much more about construction that I did coming into this project. I now know how waterproofing works, what kind of tiles work best, how bathroom fixtures are installed, how lighting should be distributed, etc. We also learned the hard way that there are many possible materials to use for furniture and not all are of good-quality, even if they may appear to be so. Lessons learned.
3. You can't go wrong with classic. If in doubt, go for simpler or plainer designs. You won't regret it. Just like with fashion, I guess. Coz you have to live with your place every day, all day, so make sure you won't get sick of that design or that color scheme :)
That's it for now. I'm so happy with how Project Home turned out. And let me take this chance to say a huge THANK YOU to You Up There for showering us with the means to put together this project and make it happen. I'm also so proud of us for having pulled this off on our own. We did have a bit of help here and there from our parents but the bulk of it is off of our blood, sweat and tears, and while we're coming out of this definitely poorer (and with credit breathing down our backs), I'm so proud of this home that we can proudly call ours. OURS. You and me.
Hope I can post pics sometime. Let's see, where's my camera??? :p
Saturday, August 07, 2010
it's really happening!!!
Holy crap, the invites are here, and my first reaction: OMG the wedding is really happening!!! :)
Hahaha! I know it may sound weird, but it was unexpectedly one of my biggest kilig moments throughout this planning process. Apart from the dress fittings, this is one of those rare times when the wedding seemed so "real". The other stuff just seems like normal planning moments for something "in the future" or "far off".. The invites arriving today in two huge-ass boxes just made it solidly real.
It's really happening! As Dennis frequently says, I can't wait to get married. To you. :)
Hahaha! I know it may sound weird, but it was unexpectedly one of my biggest kilig moments throughout this planning process. Apart from the dress fittings, this is one of those rare times when the wedding seemed so "real". The other stuff just seems like normal planning moments for something "in the future" or "far off".. The invites arriving today in two huge-ass boxes just made it solidly real.
It's really happening! As Dennis frequently says, I can't wait to get married. To you. :)
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
tradition shmadition....
Most days, I love my culture and all its richness, but today is not one of them. I was just informed that, in order to maximize and preserve the "good luck" that we'll receive as a newly married couple, after the wedding, I am NOT to wear black AT ALL for a significant period. Like six months.
WHAT?!
D ko gets.
Hay.
WHAT?!
D ko gets.
Hay.
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Realization
I had an epiphany today- It's usual perception that the toughest part of the marriage vows to adhere to is one of these three: (1) "for better or for worse" - because life does have its healthy (and sometimes unhealthy) share of difficulties, and sometimes it's far too tempting to walk out and go ; (2) "for richer or for poorer" - more or less same reasons as (1) ; (3) the fidelity clause - also self-explanatory
I realized today another part of the marriage vows that may not be as much of a deal-breaker as the first three I mentioned, nor does it seem to be that big of a deal because it sounds so mundane and a bit obvious. But I think it's the one part in the marriage bond that will probably be challenged the most often and hence deserves attention too. While it may not be devastating in huge, earth-shattering, marriage-threatening ways, I think it's just as difficult to overcome. Major loads of maturity are needed, if you want to stay sane. And stay married.
This such part is where you vow to love the ones that he loves, on the day you agree to become his wife and swear in front of God and all your loved ones that you will be together forever and ever. It's a promise that can easily escape your lips, again because it sounds so obvious and hence so easy (oh how naive you are, dear bride!). After all, his family is good to you and they approve of your marriage. He loves them, and hence how hard could it be to love them too?
Suffice it to say that I've had a fair look at the challenges that can rock this particular corner of the matrinomial vow. It's not as easy, in fact it's probably one of the biggest and hardest adjustments to make. You can bounce back from a fight with your own mother, because she gave you life and can forgive you for anything and everything. Someone else's mother though, even if she happens to be your husband's mother, is an entirely different story. Whether you annoy her or she annoys you, the loser in the battle ends up being your husband. It's rarely about who's right and who's wrong, mind you. Almost all of the time, it's about two different upbringings, two different queens and two different emotional states. So declaring a clear winner in such battles is rather gray. But what's crystal clear is the suffering husband in the middle.
So, I lectured myself today on this particular issue and told myself that, for as long as the matter at hand is not that of life and death, or anything concerning children, values, religion, and deeply personal parts of our lives, I will let these "difficulties" roll off my back and focus on what's critically important - that I have a peaceful relationship with my in-laws and that my (soon-to-be) husband can sleep soundly at night. In Tagalog, kung hindi ko naman ikamamatay yung ipinaglalaban ko, wag nalang ilaban. Choose your battles carefully, because there are battles you need to lose, so you will win the war. And mind you, by "war", I honestly don't refer to my mother in law. Hahaha!
Another point I'd like to make: I believe in karma. I know that my family, with all their virtues, is far from perfect and in the future, two daughters-in-law would also have to "pakisama" with them. I would hope and wish that these two girls would also extend to my family a rich amount of patience, understanding and love. Because I'll be leaving my family behind soon. I'd want these two girls to care for them as if they were their own blood and flesh. To do that, I'd have to "plant" seeds of karma now. How can I expect from others what I cannot ask of myself?
Lastly, at the end of the day, I love him. And part of that love is loving those he loves. Maybe at the start, I'm loving them because he loves them. But hopefully, as we go through life together as family, I'll grow to love them without needing any other reason.
:)
I realized today another part of the marriage vows that may not be as much of a deal-breaker as the first three I mentioned, nor does it seem to be that big of a deal because it sounds so mundane and a bit obvious. But I think it's the one part in the marriage bond that will probably be challenged the most often and hence deserves attention too. While it may not be devastating in huge, earth-shattering, marriage-threatening ways, I think it's just as difficult to overcome. Major loads of maturity are needed, if you want to stay sane. And stay married.
This such part is where you vow to love the ones that he loves, on the day you agree to become his wife and swear in front of God and all your loved ones that you will be together forever and ever. It's a promise that can easily escape your lips, again because it sounds so obvious and hence so easy (oh how naive you are, dear bride!). After all, his family is good to you and they approve of your marriage. He loves them, and hence how hard could it be to love them too?
Suffice it to say that I've had a fair look at the challenges that can rock this particular corner of the matrinomial vow. It's not as easy, in fact it's probably one of the biggest and hardest adjustments to make. You can bounce back from a fight with your own mother, because she gave you life and can forgive you for anything and everything. Someone else's mother though, even if she happens to be your husband's mother, is an entirely different story. Whether you annoy her or she annoys you, the loser in the battle ends up being your husband. It's rarely about who's right and who's wrong, mind you. Almost all of the time, it's about two different upbringings, two different queens and two different emotional states. So declaring a clear winner in such battles is rather gray. But what's crystal clear is the suffering husband in the middle.
So, I lectured myself today on this particular issue and told myself that, for as long as the matter at hand is not that of life and death, or anything concerning children, values, religion, and deeply personal parts of our lives, I will let these "difficulties" roll off my back and focus on what's critically important - that I have a peaceful relationship with my in-laws and that my (soon-to-be) husband can sleep soundly at night. In Tagalog, kung hindi ko naman ikamamatay yung ipinaglalaban ko, wag nalang ilaban. Choose your battles carefully, because there are battles you need to lose, so you will win the war. And mind you, by "war", I honestly don't refer to my mother in law. Hahaha!
Another point I'd like to make: I believe in karma. I know that my family, with all their virtues, is far from perfect and in the future, two daughters-in-law would also have to "pakisama" with them. I would hope and wish that these two girls would also extend to my family a rich amount of patience, understanding and love. Because I'll be leaving my family behind soon. I'd want these two girls to care for them as if they were their own blood and flesh. To do that, I'd have to "plant" seeds of karma now. How can I expect from others what I cannot ask of myself?
Lastly, at the end of the day, I love him. And part of that love is loving those he loves. Maybe at the start, I'm loving them because he loves them. But hopefully, as we go through life together as family, I'll grow to love them without needing any other reason.
:)
Saturday, July 31, 2010
iffy
If you didn't buy the place and didn't spend much on its renovation and furnishing, would you feel it's okay to be the first one to spend the night there and use the facilities, appliances and furniture?
I'm so iffy about this whole thing, but I'm just trying to be patient, for fear of being OA and being perceived as "territorial" or "selfish". But truly, I find the whole idea very strange and kind of offensive. Maybe they feel it's their son's place too, ergo they have as much right as him to spend the night. I really don't know. I don't understand this kind of logic, so I guess I really shouldn't see it from their point of view.
Ugh.
I'm so iffy about this whole thing, but I'm just trying to be patient, for fear of being OA and being perceived as "territorial" or "selfish". But truly, I find the whole idea very strange and kind of offensive. Maybe they feel it's their son's place too, ergo they have as much right as him to spend the night. I really don't know. I don't understand this kind of logic, so I guess I really shouldn't see it from their point of view.
Ugh.
Friday, July 30, 2010
yet another checkpoint and... a baby!
OK, tomorrow is the last day of the month so I thought I'd do a recap of my almost-accomplishments and see what I can tick off my list:
1. Invites: Finally, after some headache with our supplier (Hay, sometimes this is the hidden cost you pay with "cheap" suppliers), finally, our invitations are ready for printing! We should be getting the first batch next Wednesday! Isn't that so cool? To say I'm excited is an understatement, definitely.
2. Marriage banns have been posted, and we now have all our requirements! Just need to turn them over to our planner and we're done! :)
3. Prenup and trial makeup/hair : CHECK!
4. Invitations list: Semi-check, because we still don't have my mother in law's list. Hay. Oh well. Small glitch.
5. Shoes: CHECK! They're now sitting comfortably in Richie's atelier and are ripe for embellishment. Another point of excitement for me. I can try them on again when I have my 3rd fitting next week!
On top of the above, we've made the hotel reservations for the night before and night after the wedding. I've also collated the addresses for the invites and I've also finished off the neckties and gifts we need. We already have all the suppliers we need, and our misalette has been approved already by our officiating priest!
All in all, July has been a fruitful month. August should now just be a month of finalizing, readying the balance payments and getting final fittings! :) This bride feels rather accomplished :) Hehehe.
Oh, and the highlight of this month is the birth of my soon-to-be first-ever goddaughter - Tala! She's the cutest ever, and is such a goooood baby girl, not giving her mommy and daddy a hard time. Welcome to the world, Baby Tala! Can't wait to see you again! :)
1. Invites: Finally, after some headache with our supplier (Hay, sometimes this is the hidden cost you pay with "cheap" suppliers), finally, our invitations are ready for printing! We should be getting the first batch next Wednesday! Isn't that so cool? To say I'm excited is an understatement, definitely.
2. Marriage banns have been posted, and we now have all our requirements! Just need to turn them over to our planner and we're done! :)
3. Prenup and trial makeup/hair : CHECK!
4. Invitations list: Semi-check, because we still don't have my mother in law's list. Hay. Oh well. Small glitch.
5. Shoes: CHECK! They're now sitting comfortably in Richie's atelier and are ripe for embellishment. Another point of excitement for me. I can try them on again when I have my 3rd fitting next week!
On top of the above, we've made the hotel reservations for the night before and night after the wedding. I've also collated the addresses for the invites and I've also finished off the neckties and gifts we need. We already have all the suppliers we need, and our misalette has been approved already by our officiating priest!
All in all, July has been a fruitful month. August should now just be a month of finalizing, readying the balance payments and getting final fittings! :) This bride feels rather accomplished :) Hehehe.
Oh, and the highlight of this month is the birth of my soon-to-be first-ever goddaughter - Tala! She's the cutest ever, and is such a goooood baby girl, not giving her mommy and daddy a hard time. Welcome to the world, Baby Tala! Can't wait to see you again! :)
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Gadget love!
OK, I know I registered for a travel steamer in Rustan's, so if someone got me that as a wedding gift, I wouldn't complain. But if I don't get it through the registry, I just might buy this one because it seems to perform better than the brand that Rustan's carries --
Innotec handheld steamer
http://www.shopcrazy.com.ph/2010/07/gadget-love-innotec-handheld-steamer/#more-9475
:)
Innotec handheld steamer
http://www.shopcrazy.com.ph/2010/07/gadget-love-innotec-handheld-steamer/#more-9475
:)
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Not now. Thanks but no thanks :)
So, just when I'm definitely not thinking about exploring other career opportunities, that's when options come knocking on my door. While there was one recent call that I was unable to turn down, I still stand quite firm on my stand that I'd really rather stay where I am. There will be some big adjustments to be made in the personal side of my life in the coming months, and I don't particularly feel like adding a professional adjustment to my list. I also can't wait to live out my lifelong desire to finally live *nearby*. So, for now, stay put. :)
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Almost-accomplishments
A few days to go and I can tick off some items off my list and add them to the "accomplished" pile:
1. Invites: We received the sample already and made a last pass of revisions. HOPEFULLY it's the final set of comments already and we can finally start production next week. This means we'll have the invites before the month ends! Please, Lord! Konti nalang :)
2. Wedding requirements: Next Sunday is the last of the 3 banns we have to post at the Binondo church, and after that, we would have finished all the church req'ts already!
3. Our prenup pictorial is also scheduled next week- at the same date as my trial makeup. Once those are done, they're 2 more things to tick off the list!
4. Dennis and my guest lists have already been translated into invitation lists. The next step is to add addresses so the transport of the invites can be arranged. After this step too, we'll have to fix the seating chart but that's not until end-August or early Sept.
5. My bridal shoes have been fitted and save for a few minor changes, they're all ready for embellishment!
Hay, when you're a bride, life becomes just one big checklist of things to do and things to accomplish. I must say though, the control freak in me feels mighty proud when things get ticked off the list, esp if they're done so way ahead of time. My planner was telling me yesterday that she's very pleased with me, because even before she has to remind me about a wedding item, I'm a few steps ahead of her and would've already emailed, texted or sent her a document already. What can I say, when you're OC, there's simply no other way to do things :p
1. Invites: We received the sample already and made a last pass of revisions. HOPEFULLY it's the final set of comments already and we can finally start production next week. This means we'll have the invites before the month ends! Please, Lord! Konti nalang :)
2. Wedding requirements: Next Sunday is the last of the 3 banns we have to post at the Binondo church, and after that, we would have finished all the church req'ts already!
3. Our prenup pictorial is also scheduled next week- at the same date as my trial makeup. Once those are done, they're 2 more things to tick off the list!
4. Dennis and my guest lists have already been translated into invitation lists. The next step is to add addresses so the transport of the invites can be arranged. After this step too, we'll have to fix the seating chart but that's not until end-August or early Sept.
5. My bridal shoes have been fitted and save for a few minor changes, they're all ready for embellishment!
Hay, when you're a bride, life becomes just one big checklist of things to do and things to accomplish. I must say though, the control freak in me feels mighty proud when things get ticked off the list, esp if they're done so way ahead of time. My planner was telling me yesterday that she's very pleased with me, because even before she has to remind me about a wedding item, I'm a few steps ahead of her and would've already emailed, texted or sent her a document already. What can I say, when you're OC, there's simply no other way to do things :p
Thursday, July 15, 2010
blackout!
I didn't know we can last this long without power. At the time of this writing, our house has been power-less for about 36 hours already...and counting. Huhuhu. I'll never take electricity for granted again!
I also realized the vulnerability of condos at a blackout. A friend was thrown out of his place last night because, due to lack of power for more than 24 hours, the building's genset finally died and no elevator service was possible. Scary! Imagine being stranded and forced to be a refugee when you have a perfectly good home, just floors above the ground. Hay. Must make contingency plans when we live in our condo already :s
I also realized the vulnerability of condos at a blackout. A friend was thrown out of his place last night because, due to lack of power for more than 24 hours, the building's genset finally died and no elevator service was possible. Scary! Imagine being stranded and forced to be a refugee when you have a perfectly good home, just floors above the ground. Hay. Must make contingency plans when we live in our condo already :s
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
major ACTION ITEM
for this month is: Invitations!!
Lord, please help me finalize the invitation draft and get the final list of addressees. Yon lang po. Thank you.
:)
Lord, please help me finalize the invitation draft and get the final list of addressees. Yon lang po. Thank you.
:)
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Project Home Checkpoint
Went to visit the condo today and I think we're making good progress. The wood flooring is being sanded down now, and the paint work is 80% done. Electrical work is all laid out and the waterproofing is done. Tiling is about 50% done with the kitchen and master's bath to be finished within the next few days. The doors and doorways also look perfect- precisely what I wanted!
A cool thing about our condo is the little free things that we get here and there from well-meaning and generous uncles. We got free cabinet handles, door knobs and door locks from his uncle, as well as free outlet covers and switch plates from mine. We also got a good deal on lights because of another uncle. I love it! :p
I also understand now what they say about a house being a budget waiting to bust :p I encountered some more unexpected items that need to be paid for, that were not part of the original estimate. They are important things though, definitely cannot be missed out on, so I just handed over a check without complaint. It just taught me that when it comes to anything real-estate related, you really need a buffer budget, because it's inevitable that you would need some additional materials or replacement items or even added labor that wasn't part of the work scope initially planned for. And you wouldn't want to run out of money midway, because that will be an even bigger problem.
Bottomline, Project Home is going very well. And making good time too. It's set to be done in the next 3 weeks. This weekend, we need to buy some cabinetry already, which we need them to install next week. The shower heaters will also be installed next week. I'm excited! It's all coming together :) :) :)
A cool thing about our condo is the little free things that we get here and there from well-meaning and generous uncles. We got free cabinet handles, door knobs and door locks from his uncle, as well as free outlet covers and switch plates from mine. We also got a good deal on lights because of another uncle. I love it! :p
I also understand now what they say about a house being a budget waiting to bust :p I encountered some more unexpected items that need to be paid for, that were not part of the original estimate. They are important things though, definitely cannot be missed out on, so I just handed over a check without complaint. It just taught me that when it comes to anything real-estate related, you really need a buffer budget, because it's inevitable that you would need some additional materials or replacement items or even added labor that wasn't part of the work scope initially planned for. And you wouldn't want to run out of money midway, because that will be an even bigger problem.
Bottomline, Project Home is going very well. And making good time too. It's set to be done in the next 3 weeks. This weekend, we need to buy some cabinetry already, which we need them to install next week. The shower heaters will also be installed next week. I'm excited! It's all coming together :) :) :)
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Song and Invites: Semi-check
I think I've found my bridal march! After having some interesting contenders (including a waltz that I still really really love), I think I found it tonight. Serendipitously too, I may add. It's a song that's been in my ipod for the longest time, and I don't know why I didn't think of it. Then tonight, when I put my ipod on shuffle, I stumbed upon it and voila! Lightbulb moment! I just hope Da Capo can perform it :)
Invites are also a semi-check, because we have the FA already and is now up for sample-printing. I hope to receive and approve the sample in the next week or so, so we can get that out of the way already. Just have to finalize the guest names now, so we can turn them over later on for printing on the envelopes :)
That's it. Bride signing off for now :)
Invites are also a semi-check, because we have the FA already and is now up for sample-printing. I hope to receive and approve the sample in the next week or so, so we can get that out of the way already. Just have to finalize the guest names now, so we can turn them over later on for printing on the envelopes :)
That's it. Bride signing off for now :)
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
WEDDING LICENSE: Check!
So off we went today to the Manila City Hall to get our wedding license. I was prepared for a long wait, with matching sticky heat and having to bear with bureaucratic processes. After all, I've only seen the Manila City Hall from outside, and it certainly didn't look like an efficient place to me.
So imagine my (pleasant) surprise when I discovered that it's actually very organized inside, and people were friendly and accommodating. True, the fact that Dennis is a lawyer and is a familiar face inside the city hall by this time, with all his hearings there, certainly helped. But I also think that the overall process is really relatively painless. In less than an hour of being inside the place, we were all done! Our license will come out in 10 days!
Our planner also took care of submitting our docs to the church and getting the permission slip to be able to get wedding banns issued at our Binondo parish. After that, we just have to get our license picked up at the city hall by Dennis' messenger, and we're all set, legally speaking, to get married. YEHEY! :)
So imagine my (pleasant) surprise when I discovered that it's actually very organized inside, and people were friendly and accommodating. True, the fact that Dennis is a lawyer and is a familiar face inside the city hall by this time, with all his hearings there, certainly helped. But I also think that the overall process is really relatively painless. In less than an hour of being inside the place, we were all done! Our license will come out in 10 days!
Our planner also took care of submitting our docs to the church and getting the permission slip to be able to get wedding banns issued at our Binondo parish. After that, we just have to get our license picked up at the city hall by Dennis' messenger, and we're all set, legally speaking, to get married. YEHEY! :)
Sunday, June 20, 2010
CEFAM: Big fat check!!!!
We're sooooo glad that CEFAM is finally off our list of things to do for the wedding preparations. Granted, there were some parts that were helpful but on the overall, we were (1) sleepy because of the early hour and the fact that ADMU is an hour away from our homes ; (2) kinda annoyed by some annoying personalities who joined us in the CEFAM sessions ; (3) bored by some of the segments of the seminar ; (4) tired afterwards but had to brave the rains and floods caused by late-afternoon rains.
The highlight or best part of the seminar were our sessions with the counselor, because not only was she very open, helpful, easy-to-talk-to and very insightful in her questioning, we also felt that it was the time when our particular setups and life situations were discussed and hence the topics at hand were the most relevant. We had already talked about most of the pre-marriage topics anyway, so it was a breeze to go through, but we were glad to get affirmation on things that we had previously discussed. And it was nice to see and hear another person's perspective on our lives, particularly since there are things in our lives that I feel we may take for granted or have already forgotten. It was good to have a fresh take on things, and an objective one at that.
So net takeaway, I think the church should just change pre-marriage seminar to pre-marriage counseling. I feel the topics discussed at the lectures were vague and didn't really appeal to the audience. Might as well go right to the heart of the people's lives and give them advice accordingly.
That's just me :P
I'm just glad we got that over with and we can now proceed to schedule when we'll head to the Manila City Hall to get our license done! :) Yahooooo!!!!
The highlight or best part of the seminar were our sessions with the counselor, because not only was she very open, helpful, easy-to-talk-to and very insightful in her questioning, we also felt that it was the time when our particular setups and life situations were discussed and hence the topics at hand were the most relevant. We had already talked about most of the pre-marriage topics anyway, so it was a breeze to go through, but we were glad to get affirmation on things that we had previously discussed. And it was nice to see and hear another person's perspective on our lives, particularly since there are things in our lives that I feel we may take for granted or have already forgotten. It was good to have a fresh take on things, and an objective one at that.
So net takeaway, I think the church should just change pre-marriage seminar to pre-marriage counseling. I feel the topics discussed at the lectures were vague and didn't really appeal to the audience. Might as well go right to the heart of the people's lives and give them advice accordingly.
That's just me :P
I'm just glad we got that over with and we can now proceed to schedule when we'll head to the Manila City Hall to get our license done! :) Yahooooo!!!!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
I really like....
this thing I found online--
Ceylon Pitcher
Lately, I've been more into looking at stuff for the house more than shoes, clothes and bags. This one looks so cool, you can flavor water w/o having annoying bits of mint or lemon mixed into it. Love it!!!
Ceylon Pitcher
Lately, I've been more into looking at stuff for the house more than shoes, clothes and bags. This one looks so cool, you can flavor water w/o having annoying bits of mint or lemon mixed into it. Love it!!!
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
103 days to go!
It's like I winked and now, I'm 13 weekends away from my wedding. I'm busy for the upcoming 3 (gonna be in HK this weekend, then CEFAM next weekend, then Kayers' baby shower the weekend after that), and then, June is over. This leaves me with 10 weekends to plan everything else that needs to be done for the wedding. I have a count of the days to go before the big day, but I have to remind myself from time to time to only count the weekends, because really, that's the time reserved to do wedding planning stuff. The rest of the week (which is really the 5 other days that not part of the weekend) is pretty booked for work and the condo-related items. With budget planning season coming up at Smart, I expect work to be extra hectic in the next few weeks. And, beside the fact that I pretty much have no other choice but to put in the required hours at work, it's really not my work style (nor my work ethic) to give in less than what's expected of me. I don't think it's right nor fair, for a company that's been way too generous to me the past couple of years.
So with that said, I'm now researching what shoes to finally decide on, so I can ready it for my Solea visit. :p Time is ticking!!!
So with that said, I'm now researching what shoes to finally decide on, so I can ready it for my Solea visit. :p Time is ticking!!!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Project Home checkpoint
So far, here's what's been accomplished in Project Home:
1. All old tiling and fixtures have been taken out. New tiles are currently being put in as we speak, and the new bathroom fixtures have already been delivered.
2. Paint has been approved (by me) as of today. They made special mixes for me, to get the tones that I want. The paint in the guest room turned out lighter than I thought, but I figured it's better to have something lighter (or weaker in color) than the opposite where you almost get heart failure for walking into a room too bright for your tastes.
Good progress for the past 6 days they've worked on the condo. Up next are finalizing the shower enclosure and shampoo caddy in the bathrooms, starting the waterproofing and starting the electrical work. Also, we have to buy new pinlights, door handles and blinds.
I'm bleeding money, but my heart is giddy with excitement and fulfillment. They're right. Buying your own place is bittersweet. While your wallet aches to no end and your budgeting skills are challenged almost on a daily basis, the feeling of achievement definitely cannot be overestimated. :)
1. All old tiling and fixtures have been taken out. New tiles are currently being put in as we speak, and the new bathroom fixtures have already been delivered.
2. Paint has been approved (by me) as of today. They made special mixes for me, to get the tones that I want. The paint in the guest room turned out lighter than I thought, but I figured it's better to have something lighter (or weaker in color) than the opposite where you almost get heart failure for walking into a room too bright for your tastes.
Good progress for the past 6 days they've worked on the condo. Up next are finalizing the shower enclosure and shampoo caddy in the bathrooms, starting the waterproofing and starting the electrical work. Also, we have to buy new pinlights, door handles and blinds.
I'm bleeding money, but my heart is giddy with excitement and fulfillment. They're right. Buying your own place is bittersweet. While your wallet aches to no end and your budgeting skills are challenged almost on a daily basis, the feeling of achievement definitely cannot be overestimated. :)
Monday, May 24, 2010
118!
My friend Anna got hitched last Saturday, and up until then, her impending wedding has overshadowed the fact that mine is just around the corner as well. But now that her wedding is over, I have just realized that it's my turn next! 118 days until my wedding!!!! Aaaaak!!!!
Monday, May 17, 2010
leave of absence
So, I won't be posting any MBA updates for a while because I'm taking a leave of absence from my schoolwork. Reasons are:
(1) For this upcoming school year, my wedding date falls in the middle of the 1st and 2nd terms. Which means that when the finals week of 1st term rolls in, I'll be in the home stretch of my wedding planning. Then when 2nd term comes in, I'll be out for 2 weeks on my honeymoon. So I figure, might as well take a break from school and focus on my wedding, my honeymoon and getting ready for married life.
(2) Work is getting heavier, and I admit I am still adjusting to this new work scope. I know that the respite from MBA will do me some good too in this area. Also, my new work entails some going-out-of-town on provincial tours and events, so it would be good not to have school to worry about for a while.
Also, I figure when I live so near to RCBC, I can resume school w/o any difficulty. My mom is worried I may not go back after the wedding and honeymoon, because a lot of people lose that crucial sense of momentum and inertia when they take a break from school. Most don't go back. Esp when pregnancy rolls in.
I told her that, first off, given my personality, I think I would be the first to give myself a hard tiime to leave unfinished something as big and as important to me as this. Also, I am just 4 terms away from finishing my MBA. Which means a pregnancy will not likely affect my finishing. And lastly, Dennis promised her (my mom) that he will make sure I finish school, even if it means carrying me physically into class (haha!) So yes, I hope there are enough measures in place to prevent me from permanently slacking off from schoolwork.
There you go. No books, exams, readings or class presentations for 7 months. Hope I miss it so I'll be in 100% "ganado" to resume school in Jan :)
Til then, books! :)
(1) For this upcoming school year, my wedding date falls in the middle of the 1st and 2nd terms. Which means that when the finals week of 1st term rolls in, I'll be in the home stretch of my wedding planning. Then when 2nd term comes in, I'll be out for 2 weeks on my honeymoon. So I figure, might as well take a break from school and focus on my wedding, my honeymoon and getting ready for married life.
(2) Work is getting heavier, and I admit I am still adjusting to this new work scope. I know that the respite from MBA will do me some good too in this area. Also, my new work entails some going-out-of-town on provincial tours and events, so it would be good not to have school to worry about for a while.
Also, I figure when I live so near to RCBC, I can resume school w/o any difficulty. My mom is worried I may not go back after the wedding and honeymoon, because a lot of people lose that crucial sense of momentum and inertia when they take a break from school. Most don't go back. Esp when pregnancy rolls in.
I told her that, first off, given my personality, I think I would be the first to give myself a hard tiime to leave unfinished something as big and as important to me as this. Also, I am just 4 terms away from finishing my MBA. Which means a pregnancy will not likely affect my finishing. And lastly, Dennis promised her (my mom) that he will make sure I finish school, even if it means carrying me physically into class (haha!) So yes, I hope there are enough measures in place to prevent me from permanently slacking off from schoolwork.
There you go. No books, exams, readings or class presentations for 7 months. Hope I miss it so I'll be in 100% "ganado" to resume school in Jan :)
Til then, books! :)
Friday, May 14, 2010
Project Home underway!
By next Tuesday, the condo renovation crew will move in and start the work on the tiling and bathroom fixtures. Then after that, they'll move on to the kitchen and parquet floors. The aircon will then be installed, then the sanding and relamination work will follow. The electrical work will then ensue, followed by the waterproofing and painting. Hopefully, by end-June, the place will be ready for furniture and appliances to be moved in. I can't wait!!!!! :)
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
a not-so-new tomorrow
I must admit I am saddened by the results of the 2010 elections. While it's good that the automated process worked, despite the many glitches and problems, and that the results seem to be clean and uncontestible, I am saddened by the confirmation that the Filipino electorate is still mostly very immature. It's politically immature thinking that led the majority of the populace to believe that a good father sires a good son, and if someone pledges to be incorruptible, that alone makes him a good President. I'm also sad that Filipinos opted for Erap as a second choice. Again, very politically immature. I honestly don't know how we can progress from this point. This has *got* to be a new low. Even for the Philippines. The change we all want is still an elusive dream.
But then, if I really believe in Gibo and have faith on the ideals he was pushing, I need to set these "nega vibes" aside and still wish the new administration the best. Perhaps we will be given a miracle; after all, no matter what we get into, we as a nation always survive. We may not always emerge better or wiser, but we always live to see another day (or another administration). Knock on wood, hopefully, Homer's parents will indeed bless him from up above and guide him throughout his 6 years in power. And hopefully, his youngest sister does shut up for good, pack up her things and move away just as she promised she would.
And maybe, just maybe, we'll see the day when our nation will finally elect officials based on merit, on qualifications and on track record. If not, we may one day elect Baby James because of his grandparents. If that happens, I may just push Atty to run for mayor. Or President. Haha!
There's still hope, people. Let's all pray for a better tomorrow for all of us. Even if it has to be achieved in spite of our newly elected leader.
Mabuhay ang Pilipino!
But then, if I really believe in Gibo and have faith on the ideals he was pushing, I need to set these "nega vibes" aside and still wish the new administration the best. Perhaps we will be given a miracle; after all, no matter what we get into, we as a nation always survive. We may not always emerge better or wiser, but we always live to see another day (or another administration). Knock on wood, hopefully, Homer's parents will indeed bless him from up above and guide him throughout his 6 years in power. And hopefully, his youngest sister does shut up for good, pack up her things and move away just as she promised she would.
And maybe, just maybe, we'll see the day when our nation will finally elect officials based on merit, on qualifications and on track record. If not, we may one day elect Baby James because of his grandparents. If that happens, I may just push Atty to run for mayor. Or President. Haha!
There's still hope, people. Let's all pray for a better tomorrow for all of us. Even if it has to be achieved in spite of our newly elected leader.
Mabuhay ang Pilipino!
Monday, May 10, 2010
May 10, 2010
Made my vote count today, despite almost 3 hours of waiting and falling in line, after a failed attempt earlier this morning at 7am. Thank God I was able to successfully feed my ballot into the machine. Now all we gotta do is wait.
Win or lose, GT, you should be president.
Win or lose, GT, you should be president.
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Brand Camp
I got sent to the first PANA Brand Camp, along with another colleague from SMART last Thursday-Saturday (yesterday, actually). Just want to jot down some thoughts I had during the 3-day competition, which incidentally ended with us bagging 2nd place, despite us not even putting in 100% effort (as in, cruising lang talaga and eating the free food) and sleeping early the night before the actual competition. Anyway, some thoughts:
1. Ran into a former classmate, who was also a delegate to the Brand Camp. Funny because some things don't change (he's still a pompous, irritating ass, just like before) yet some things can still change, believe it or not (he's actually a worse ass than before, because he has upped the ante on ass-ness).
2. Some people are so intense. They're so competitive (even at this age ah!) to the point of not talking to other delegates, not sleeping (or only sleeping 2 hours) before the competition, and (horror of horrors!) not eating due to "nervousness". C'mon, guys, this is NOT a matter of life and death, and it is DEFINITELY not a reflection of how far you've gone in your career or how far you can possibly go in the future. True, it would be GREAT to get to go to Cannes to compete and represent the Phils (which was the top prize), but you guys have got to learn how to CHILL. Otherwise, you'll get wrinkles at an early age or, worse, develop some awful heart disease. Plus, you have to learn that there is a healthy way to compete, and the way you're doing it is totally wrong.
3. Strange how FMCG guys can "look down" on telco marketing guys, thinking that telco guys don't do "real marketing". Funny, because the 1st and 2nd placers in the competition are both from telco teams. Only the 3rd team came from FMCG, and the 8 non-placers are all from FMCGs. Hehe. One word: Karma.
4. It's nice to get away, even for a few days, and even just to Tagaytay. Mental note to do this with Dennis when we're married already. A small, short getaway can do wonders to your mental well-being.
That's pretty much it. Am I sad we didn't place 1st? Really, no. Again, it would be nice to get to go to Cannes, just for the experience. But in any case, we can't go even if we did win 1st place, because my partner is currently 5 months preggers and will not be able to travel in June. I'm perfectly happy too with 2nd place, because I seriously did not put in that much effort. We even watched the evening teleseryes and took our time with the shower-and-get-ready-for-bed routines. We had relaxed meals, took our leisurely pace and didn't even really listen to the speakers who were "training" us. I just really took it as a small vacation. When it came to the presentation, we did have to cram our thoughts into 8 slides (to be presented in 5 minutes) and kinda struggled with Keynote (the only "accredited" presentation software in Cannes) but that was pretty much it. I also do not take it as any sort of validation of my "marketing cred", because I don't think any one convention or competition can do that. It's reality that tells you how well you've performed or how much farther you can still go. This competition is just really a recruitment process for a team that will compete in France. That's all. Some people need to learn to relax.
I was also thinking back at my college days and when we first learned how to live with "competition". I'm glad to be looking back at those days and see how I've grown with regard to how I treat competition and how I've learned when to draw the line and distance myself from my work. Don't get me wrong, I'm still as driven as when I was 18 years old and learning how to write ad briefs and make marketing presentations. I'm still as ambitious, in that I still want to push forth with my career and work towards being an even better marketing professional. But I guess I've learned (and still learning) to strike a balance between work and life. And see work for what it truly is- work. Not "just work" because I don't mean to trivialize work. It serves a purpose in life and deserves its proper attention, dedication and energy. But it's not what consumes us or represents what we are. It's just what we do. :)
BTW, in unrelated news, today marks the 1-year anniversary of when Dennis asked me to marry him. :) I'm not sure if it's even a valid or real occasion to celebrate, but it's nice nonetheless. Not everyone has a year (and more) to go from engagement to wedding, and I think it's nice that we get to have that. Even just for one year. (God knows I have NO desires of stretching it out further. I'm happy to have had the time.)
:)
1. Ran into a former classmate, who was also a delegate to the Brand Camp. Funny because some things don't change (he's still a pompous, irritating ass, just like before) yet some things can still change, believe it or not (he's actually a worse ass than before, because he has upped the ante on ass-ness).
2. Some people are so intense. They're so competitive (even at this age ah!) to the point of not talking to other delegates, not sleeping (or only sleeping 2 hours) before the competition, and (horror of horrors!) not eating due to "nervousness". C'mon, guys, this is NOT a matter of life and death, and it is DEFINITELY not a reflection of how far you've gone in your career or how far you can possibly go in the future. True, it would be GREAT to get to go to Cannes to compete and represent the Phils (which was the top prize), but you guys have got to learn how to CHILL. Otherwise, you'll get wrinkles at an early age or, worse, develop some awful heart disease. Plus, you have to learn that there is a healthy way to compete, and the way you're doing it is totally wrong.
3. Strange how FMCG guys can "look down" on telco marketing guys, thinking that telco guys don't do "real marketing". Funny, because the 1st and 2nd placers in the competition are both from telco teams. Only the 3rd team came from FMCG, and the 8 non-placers are all from FMCGs. Hehe. One word: Karma.
4. It's nice to get away, even for a few days, and even just to Tagaytay. Mental note to do this with Dennis when we're married already. A small, short getaway can do wonders to your mental well-being.
That's pretty much it. Am I sad we didn't place 1st? Really, no. Again, it would be nice to get to go to Cannes, just for the experience. But in any case, we can't go even if we did win 1st place, because my partner is currently 5 months preggers and will not be able to travel in June. I'm perfectly happy too with 2nd place, because I seriously did not put in that much effort. We even watched the evening teleseryes and took our time with the shower-and-get-ready-for-bed routines. We had relaxed meals, took our leisurely pace and didn't even really listen to the speakers who were "training" us. I just really took it as a small vacation. When it came to the presentation, we did have to cram our thoughts into 8 slides (to be presented in 5 minutes) and kinda struggled with Keynote (the only "accredited" presentation software in Cannes) but that was pretty much it. I also do not take it as any sort of validation of my "marketing cred", because I don't think any one convention or competition can do that. It's reality that tells you how well you've performed or how much farther you can still go. This competition is just really a recruitment process for a team that will compete in France. That's all. Some people need to learn to relax.
I was also thinking back at my college days and when we first learned how to live with "competition". I'm glad to be looking back at those days and see how I've grown with regard to how I treat competition and how I've learned when to draw the line and distance myself from my work. Don't get me wrong, I'm still as driven as when I was 18 years old and learning how to write ad briefs and make marketing presentations. I'm still as ambitious, in that I still want to push forth with my career and work towards being an even better marketing professional. But I guess I've learned (and still learning) to strike a balance between work and life. And see work for what it truly is- work. Not "just work" because I don't mean to trivialize work. It serves a purpose in life and deserves its proper attention, dedication and energy. But it's not what consumes us or represents what we are. It's just what we do. :)
BTW, in unrelated news, today marks the 1-year anniversary of when Dennis asked me to marry him. :) I'm not sure if it's even a valid or real occasion to celebrate, but it's nice nonetheless. Not everyone has a year (and more) to go from engagement to wedding, and I think it's nice that we get to have that. Even just for one year. (God knows I have NO desires of stretching it out further. I'm happy to have had the time.)
:)
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