the happy decision

Reminder to self: Happiness is a choice- a decision- and has less to do with circumstances but more to do about your attitude towards circumstances.

MBA updates

OK, I'm wrapping up my 7th term as an MBA student (wow, has it been that long???) and just enrolled into my 8th term (FYI- after the 8th, there are 3 more to go until graduation! CAN THIS BE OVER ALREADY, PLEASE!). While it seems like time stood still for the longest time because of my seemingly unending MBA journey, the rest of my life seems to be going by in record time. Before I knew it, I'm about to enter the 5-month mark until our Mr-and-Mrs Day, and in about a month's time, we would've been engaged for a year already! How fast! Also, in a month or two, our condo would've been renovated already and it's time to bring in the furniture. Again, how fast! Next thing I know, it's my FILC bridal shower, then it's September (which is also budget season in Smart) and then the big day is here!

Anyway, this update is supposed to be about my MBA. Sometimes, I really have doubts on why I'm on this particular uphill battle, when it's completely optional. In fact, an overwhelming majority of my friends and colleagues do not carry MBA degrees, so there are days when I question myself and ask why the hell am I subjecting myself to this kind of torture. Why would I want to stay up some nights and study or read or write papers, when I could be out enjoying the last few months of singlehood? Why would I choose to wake up at 7am on a Saturday to make it to an 8am class in Taft, when I could be blissfully slumbering 'til a more decent hour and enjoy my weekends in full?

Believe me, such doubt-full days have come and they have come aplenty. But in the final analysis, I guess I am doing this for more than 1 reason, and these are all good reasons (at least except on days when I'm tired and stressed and overstretched and I'm cursing myself for being a masochist). These reasons are:

1. While I love my undergrad course, I do feel there are serious limitations and weaknesses to it, the biggest of which is the fact that marketing is not a stand-alone skill, especially when you intend to go up the corporate ladder and be a director or head in a business or corporation. It takes more than just marketing to make a business run, and I feel that a marketing background alone is not enough to arm oneself in debates in the boardroom or even civil discussions with colleagues in the elevator. I feel an MBA will make me more qualified in the next corporate progressions to come, and I want to be prepared. Granted, I still do feel that marketing is my biggest and best skill, but that doesn't mean I have to confine myself with marketing.

2. I do plan to have my own business in the future, so a holistic management orientation would definitely be helpful. As it is now, I find myself understanding the business side of things better than I did when I only had an IMC degree. So I think it's surely an advantage. I hate not being able to understand finance or HR or even operations when they discuss their issues with me; so what better way to understand them than to study what they are talking about. Not because I just want to know, but I feel that to have my own business in the future, I need to know what the other branches of management are dealing with.

3. I want to do this now that I am still single (not for long, I know) and without a baby in my life. I know that my priorities are bound to change and there will come a time when myself is not the only thing I have to think about or take care of. So now that I have the luxury and leisure of doing so, I figure, why not pursue something I've wanted for myself and something I can be proud of as a good, solid achievement? Something I want to be able to anchor myself on when a baby gets too demanding or sacrifices need to be made. I guess, bottom line, I do not want any regrets, which is why I'm pushing myself to make it to the MBA finish line. If I don't, I know I'll kick myself and live in regret in the future. I don't want any what-ifs. I don't want to live halfway.

There you go. I guess that's it. I need to be reminded of these things when I'm sitting at home on a Saturday working on an MBA paper when my friends and colleagues are at the JT concert. Haha! Ok, back to work :P

i surrender..

all my worries and troubles to You. I know You know what's best and I'll trust You'll only give us what we can handle and what we deserve.

Amen.

needs to be met

I know I'm blessed in so many ways, so please do not misinterpret this post as an ungrateful, selfish one, because it's anything but. I do not desire for more than I need, nor do I carry selfish motives in asking for this need to be filled. I just want a comfortable, pleasant home to come home to every night and face the day with every morning. And I believe this is not an overly extravagant thing to wish for.

So, in Chinese and Buddhist tradition, I pray to the God of Fortune to please help us secure the financial means to do the condo renovations and all accompanying costs they necessarily carry. I do not wish for over and beyond the basic things included in our scope of work for the condo. Please please please.

And thank you in advance :)

GIBO!!!!

I know that he's not the most popular candidate, nor the most funded one, but I am proud to tell whoever cares to ask that I'm voting for Gibo. I am a fervent believer that integrity is not a good-enough reason to vote for someone, and integrity isn't even a platform of government. I believe that any government position should be regarded as a profession, on top of being a calling. The "calling" part is hard to validate, as this is something that only the person concerned and God will know for sure if sincere. But the profession part can definitely be checked and ensured. And I know that I definitely look for credentials and competence when shopping for a doctor, for a lawyer (well, I don't need to shop for this, but you get my drift), and even a secretary! So why not expect the same from a president? And by competence, I don't refer to Gibo's Harvard degree or anything on his resume. All one needs to do is to bring an open mind to any of the debates and you will see what I am talking about. This is the guy who has a plan for the problems this country has, and he articulates this in such an eloquent manner that I know he'll do a great job in diplomacy and international relations, something that our country is in bad need for, since we need aid to be readily available for our economy and for disaster relief when needed. Some people have asked me why I didn't choose Gordon, and my answer is, if Gibo weren't running, I would probably be behind Gordon. But since he is, the reason I'm not choosing Gordon is the eloquence part. His verbal style is very abrasive and quite condescending. I don't know if he means to, but he strikes me as a professor or lecturer when he talks, and God knows that's not good for diplomacy. Also, the fact that he cannot endear himself to people by virtue of his dryness does not appeal to me. And it's not because of anything superficial, but I believe public office is also about managing public opinion. In short, you must know how to make people feel better during dire times or make them believe you. And I feel Gordon doesn't do a good job at that.

Gibo may not have the funds of Villar, to enable him to keep his advertising TARPS so consistently high. This is the only tragedy in his campaign, because his conversation rate is more than 90%. This means that for every 10 people who have accessed Gibo's platform and heard him speak, 9 are converted to become his voters. This is extremely high and just shows proof of what the man is made of. It's just unfortunate, because conversion rate is not enough to win this election. It needs to be coupled with awareness, which unfortunately is a function of spend. Hay. Alas, money is what Villar has that Gibo does not.

And don't even get me started about Noynoy. Though I was initially attracted to the whole yellow power thing, now, I am convinced more than ever not to vote for this guy. Not only does integrity not enough for me to pick a president, I do not even think Noynoy has this so-called integrity. He is just riding on the coat-tails of his parents, and who wants a president like that? If all you have to offer is the promise you will not steal, then anyone else on the street can claim that. Not doing something is not enough to anchor a campaign on. And if all you have to offer is your parentage, and your bloodline, then you should just wish we have a monarchy. That way, only the family surname and family tree matters when choosing a president.

Hehehe. That's all I had to say on the matter. Whatever your reasons may be, go ahead and make your choice. As I have made mine too. :)

Corn Silk!

Ok, so a talk with my parents had us rationalizing the work we'll have done in the condo. Essentially, the time-tested adults advised us to minimize the renovation work we'll pay for in the condo, bearing in mind resale value after 5-10 years (our estimated time living in the condo). It's better, they say, to minimize renovation expenses so you don't have to recover so much in total condo expenses when the time comes that we'll be pricing the property for sale. Buyers do not care if you spent a lot in a certain brand of tiles or a certain range of dressers. They also hardly care if you spent big bucks in taking down wall to make the space "breathe" more. For as long as we consider the place livable, we should just do minor tweaks and updates.

They had a good point, no matter how my stubborn bratty side tries to resist it. They've done this before, and their perspective actually comes with a lot of sense. It's just that the girly girl in me got all excited in the renovation and the end-result that the magic of interior design can make you infatuated with. But I guess in the end, practicality wins the game.

Oh well, papel...

So now, I'm occupying myself with going through paint options and seeing what I like and don't like. As of now, this is what I am crushing on as the color of our master's bedroom:

Corn Silk!

Isn't it pretty yet not too girly yet relaxing and shiny & bright? Makes you wanna relax after a long day yet welcomes you into a bright new morning and ready to face the day. :)

Wow, that's a lot of adjectives for a kind of paint ;P

Jute! :)

Got these today, on what was the first shopping trip I've been on ever since 2010 started (clap clap clap!) I only allowed myself to go shopping because we got our 2009 bonus yesterday and I felt like celebrating. Hehehe. OK, enough justifying my shopping urges, here's what I got for myself. I love love love love them. Not only are they comfortable, I love how they look! And, strangely enough, I pictured myself being a mom running around and doing errands as I wear these. Hahaha! I know, how weird :p

P.S. These are called Jute espadrilles and come from Spain. They're made of 100% natural materials, are super duper comfortable and the pricing is pretty reasonable. Super comfy even if they're platform wedges :p

hmmmm

rumble in the jungle???

delinquent bride?

Sometimes I look at my fellow brides and can't help but compare myself with them. Is it normal not to think about your wedding every day? If not, then I'm totally a delinquent bride! I don't know what it is about my personality, but it's just not in my character to focus only on 1 thing in my life at a time. Perhaps that's reflected in how I choose to lead my life, i.e. I am never just about 1 particular thing, even if it means a lot to me. I maintain a good career, teach (half the year, at least), take up MBA, plan my wedding and plan the condo renovation all side-by-side, not just because I want to do all these things, but also because I just cannot stand to "stand" for 1 thing alone. I don't know why, sometimes I do feel I'm stretching myself too far, but overall, I find I'm happier this way.

Which leads me to another topic. Some people have brought up this topic with me a few times, and my answer has always stayed the same. When we do decide to have babies, I do not plan on putting a stop to my career. Not only because of financial reasons (though I admit those are powerful reasons all on their own), but also because I know that it's not the way I'll be happy. I will know my priorities though, for sure, in the sense that I know that my family is the most important thing and the most dispensable thing should be work. I fully intend to drop everything whenever my family needs me.

However, I find that there is more than 1 way to be a good mom, and that does not necessarily equate to staying put at home and mother all day, every day. Don't get me wrong, I respect and completely admire women who make the decision to stay at home. It's just not the way I would do it, because I know I will be unhappy not being productive and my kids and husband will know I'm unhappy. So at the end of the day, it serves no one. To be a happy person, I need to be a rounded person. In an ironic way, to be a good mom, I cannot allow myself to solely be a mom. Does that make sense? Just like, to be a good wife, I know I cannot allow myself to solely be a wife.

I guess the same thing goes for other things in my life. I just cannot stand being boxed into just 1 thing- being a working girl, being an MBA student, being just any one thing. And I guess it looks like I'll carry on living this way even after the wedding and after babies.

Oh, and another thing... It may sound weird, I know, but I also cannot take the fact that both titles- wife and mom- are titles that only exist in relation to someone else. Again, don't get me wrong, I love Dennis more than my heart can ever express, but I cannot live for him and him alone. I suspect the same thing would apply to my children. As much as I love them and would give up my life for theirs, I cannot confine my life to my relationship with them. My relationship with myself- how happy I make myself- also matters. And I happen to think it's only right that it matters. It's not selfish to want things for yourself, to save some hours of the day for yourself, and save some parts of yourself and not give it away to others, even if, by others, you mean your family. It's only right and it's only fair.

OK, am I even making sense?? How did I get to this topic when I was just thinking about being a delinquent bride? I don't remember anymore. The topic just popped back up in my head :P Oh well.

Project Home

is about to start for real! :) I'm soooo excited! Now that we've finalized our interior decoration drawings (thanks to Attorney's cousin, who did it for us for free as a wedding gift!), we're now ready to get the place jobbed-out to a contractor! Yehey! Now I feel like we're actually starting on Project Home already :P

Hopefully, though, it doesn't cost us too much. Within our budget is okay with me; I'm not even shooting for savings. I know that I can't scrimp in areas that need to be spent on (like the kitchen and the toilets), so I'm not going to penny-pinch like I would if we were referring to certain parts of our wedding. I know that it's an investment. I just want to stay within budget so we'll still be able to pay for some other planned items (hint: HM!) Let's keep our fingers and toes crossed! :)

confeeeeermed!

Got confirmed yesterday at Binondo Church. It was an interesting experience, though the seminar was seriously sleep-inducing. I successfully executed my part in the ceremony and even got a gift from my confirmation godparents! :) Hehehe. While it's true that I only did it as a requirement for our church wedding, I must admit I liked the solemnity of the ceremony,and the meaning of the whole thing wasn't lost of me at all, even if I'm not truly part of the faith. After all, I studied it in college. I even remember getting a flat 1.0 in the Sacraments class :)

Dennis was also sweet enough to accompany me through the whole thing, even sitting through a 2.5 hour seminar. He said he wanted to be there with me, even if the task at hand didn't involve him. Guess it's an exercise in marriage too. As my dad says, you don't always like what you do for your spouse, but you just do it :p

ohm.... namaste.... yoga...

OK, I was so tempted to blog about my yoga sessions after, well, the first time I went to yoga class in LKG. But I stopped myself, because I feared it meant I'll jinx this new fitness routine and I'll end up eating my words and doing "ningas kugon" (i.e. never go back after the 1st try). So now that I'm on my second month of doing yoga, I figured it's safe already to formally talk about it (at least as "formal" as this blog goes :p )

First off, I SUPER DUPER love yoga! Because:
1. It's sooo relaxing. It eases your mind of worries or stress and never fails to recharge me after each session. No fail! Since it has a lot to do with proper inhalation, requires tremendous concentration, demands focus on the here and now, and expects you to leave your troubles at the door. It's so calming and has such a nice de-stressing effect on me.
2. It helps my posture. Enough said.
3. It's making me stronger. I don't know if this is just a trick of my own mind's making, but I do feel incrementally stronger since I started doing this kind of yoga. I don't get out of breath as easily or as fast when Guia and I walk to Greenbelt. I can also take the stairs at the office and at home two steps at a time, all in one go (no more than 1 second interval between each two-step). I don't know when I can expect toning of the limbs to happen, but I think the increased strength is such an encouraging result.
4. It's strenuous enough yet it doesn't make you sweat like a pig or get "hingal" in a what-the-F kind of way. Admittedly, these are the main reasons I didn't like the gym. I didn't like how I felt so spent after each time I go. With yoga, I still get those "muscle aches" post-session, but nothing like those I get from going to the gym. So I still feel the workout's impact minus the icky sweating :p
5. There's variation in the yoga poses each time I go, so it never gets boring.
6. It's something I can easily replicate at home, maybe starting my 4th month of doing yoga. I need to get the poses down right first before attempting to do it at home, lest I injure myself. But once I get to do that, I can do yoga in the comforts of my own room. Which obviously, no gym routine can allow.
7. No need for special shoes, clothes or other paraphernalia. Apart from the studio fees, there are no required additional expenses!
8. The center is so near my office (at least for now.. I hear they're planning to move to Rockwell in Sept. Boohoo!). There is no excuse for me to skip my Wed-Fri twice-a-week routine.

Are those reasons enough? Hehe. I'm so happy that, after 27 years of existence, I've finally found an exercise routine I love. In fact, I super look forward to each session, in a way I never ever expected to feel about a physical activity. I never looked forward to gym or to PE. Ever! So this is definitely a good sign. I really love yoga!

HM Planning!!

The past few weeks, I've been jumping from one type of planning to another. First was wedding day planning, especially when I meet up with my wedding planner, then off to condo renovation and interior decoration planning, especially when we got our keys and signed all the documents, then to honeymoon planning, especially when I found a super great deal online for our Honeymoon Phase 1 in Singapore! :)

Anyway, this blog post is about the latter kind of planning. I'm so excited it's actually a bit painful to have to wait sooo long for it (7 more months!). After finding a super great deal on Cebu Pac last Christmas for our tickets to Sing (super cheap- as in, cheaper than a dress in Zara!), I went on a mission to find us the perfect hotel. Given that it's our honeymoon and that we're leaving 48 hours after we tie the knot, I wanted to splurge a bit on the hotel and not book us in a 30-sqm box. If I let budget be the only consideration, chances are, we'll end up in a shoebox-lookalike, given how expensive Singapore is on an average day, further compounded by the fact that September is F1 Race season there too. On the other hand, to sort of temper this desire to go all-out, I wanted to not spend too much on Phase 1, so that we'll have more money for Phase 2 (more on that later). So I surfed the internet more than I care to admit, until tadaaaaa I found the perfect deal!

We are staying here for HM Phase 1:

Conrad Hotels Singapore, a Hilton hotel

Got our room at 50% off in their winter sale last month!! How cool is that? :)

Then tonight, I made another discovery. Assuming we do get to go to NYC for our Honeymoon Phase 2, I really really really hope we get to stay in this hotel:

Room-Mate Hotel Grace NYC

I just love love love this hotel! Not only is the concept different, it looks really fun, the location is perfection, and there is, brace yourself, free breakfast! I thought that was an impossibility in NYC, at least not unless you're staying at a 5-star place. It's also got a nice pool, lounge area, lobby and entrance hall. Service doesn't seem to be a problem either! :) It's not cheap, mind you, as very few things are in the concrete jungle where dreams are made. But it's cheap enough, relatively speaking, especially if you factor in the location, which is the biggest consideration if you want to maximize your time in the city. :)

OK, I should stop sounding like a tour guide. Please please please please!!!!! :) I pray the stars align to give me this one special gift-- I hope we have enough money to responsibly go to NYC, then I hope we find cheap airfare (I have an idea what airline to take, but let's hope it pulls through for us!), then we BOTH get our US visas renewed (this may be the most unpredictable one of all the factors), and finally we get to take leaves off from work to go (this may be the easiest factor naman). Hehehe. I really really hope so. I really want NYC. Cross your fingers and toes we get there in 2010! :)

last call!

This weekend marked my last Valentine's day as a single person and my last CNY at home. Made me more wistful than I expected. Guess this just means we truly must enjoy every minute of every day and cast aside all worries about tomorrow or hang-ups about the past. Just enjoy the present. Because, just like with everything else in life, it's fleeting and it'll be gone before you know it.

Kung Hei! :)

it's REALLY happening!!!!

We got the keys to our condo unit today! Hoooooorayyyyy!!! I'm so excited and giddy, yet nervous all at the same time. Hehe. It's really happening! Once we finalize our renovation plans, the contractors can start work, in time for hopefully a finished place by June, and we can start slowly adding furniture to the place, in time for September!

To say I'm excited is an understatement :p

couch, come to mama!!!!!

Cobonpue: Highlight of Cebu

OK, so I'm back from Cebu, for a sales conference for SMART. It was a 3 day, 2 night trip, and we stayed in Mactan Shang. All I can say is that the hotel is nothing like Makati Shang but for a free 2-night stay in a 5-star hotel, I wouldn't really complain too much.

The highlight of this trip though was visiting the factory and showroom of Kenneth Cobonpue in Mandaue City. It was my boss' idea, actually, to go furniture hunting / shopping on our last day in Cebu, since we pretty much had the whole day (up until about 1:30pm) free and what else could we do that didn't involve too much cost. When she mentioned going to Kenneth Cobonpue, I immediately thought that his stuff probably cost an arm and a leg and for sure I wouldn't be able to afford anything. I had heard of his work and his legions of fans, though, and was actually curious to see his stuff up close and personal. They always struck me as "hard"-looking, like they weren't comfortable to sit on or lie down on, so I wanted to see what the big fuss was about.

After a 30-minute car ride from the hotel, we arrive at the showroom and were greeted rather enthusiastically by his staff of showroom girls who were really friendly and accommodating. We went through both sides of his showroom and I'm happy to report that I was so pleasantly surprised to see how usable his pieces are. Not only are they "impactful" visually, especially the bed and sofa pieces, they are also designed for human comfort. His furniture are all MASARAP to lie down or sit on. MASARAP na MASARAP.

When we were going through the first part of the showroom, I was thinking, wow, I'm actually impressed by his work! But I wasn't seeing anything particularly breath-taking or at least merited a feeling of wanting to take anything home with me.

Until we went to the showroom at the back and I saw THE COUCH. The couch that I would die to have in my condo when we move in in September. It's called the Yin Yang L-shaped couch, and it's HEAVENLY. Not only aesthetically pleasing but also remarkably wonderful. Like I want to sit there all day and maybe sleep on it at night. Hehe.

Alas, apparently, they do not sell the pieces in the showroom. Also, if you want to buy something, upon agreeing to the price quotation (which apparently is only released to you via email and on a per-request basis because the price of his raw materials are organic and thus their prices change from time to time), they will make your furniture piece from scratch. The leadtime is usually 60 days, and they ship to Manila. If you want some aspects or dimensions changed, this means your piece will be "customized". It will be subject to a round of special designing by Kenneth and you will of course be charged a corresponding customization fee. The girls actually didn't recommend customization. If you just want a couch lengthened because you find it a bit short for your fiance's leg length, then you're better off adding an ottoman to your purchase and save yourself a bundle of pesos.

Hehe. That last bit was my only predicament with THE COUCH , which the salesgirl was able to successfully address.

So now we gotta wait. How much will THE COUCH cost kaya? The other pieces there had quotations made out for today, so we had an idea on his price range. I'll tell you one thing about his prices- they are NOT cheap, but they are certainly NOT chump change either. If you consider the amount of labor that goes into the actual materials and the furniture, which we were able to see for ourselves, you'll realize why the prices are the way they are. In fact, you'd even think of charging more if you were Kenneth.

That last bit were my actual real thoughts as our car pulled away from the showroom's garage as we left for the hotel again. Hehe.

For more info on his work, you can check his website. THE COUCH isn't in the catalog for some reason. I kinda like it actually- the thought that it's not published in the site yet, and hence it's still my (or our, including my companions today) little secret for now.

:)

officially a homeowner!!

We got a copy of our condo certificate of title today! WOOHOO!! :p

The feeling is a mixture of a really powerful emotional high and a really freaky sense of anxiety with a helping of queasiness in your stomach that can easily trigger cold sweats. Hahaha! Did I just make it sound so weird? Anyway, the feeling is really a combination of "yehey, we're on our way to realizing our dream" and "what the.. how will we do this successfully?" especially since the place is really still on loan with the bank. While we do have a payment plan, the ultra-responsible and ultra-"praning" side of me can't help but feel the weight of the math computations on the flimsy piece of paper in front of me. What pressure. So this is what "game time" means for adults. Not just simple transactions like shopping or beautification routines that, when charged to credit cards, tend to "surprise" you at the end of the month. This is a true-blue, honest-to-goodness jumping into real-estate-mortgage territory, with serious consequences and pretty much just you and your husband left to your own devices. It's quite scary!

But, as my dad said, it's okay to have that "my heart is throbbing so fast I feel like I'm getting cardiac arrest" feeling. It means you're growing up. It means you're stretching yourself farther and reaching for a dream, intending to make it real. It means you've stopped daydreaming and started pushing the pedal to the metal (oh yeah, my favorite, cough cough, phrase)... and start living your life.

Nice to hear, and probably better savored when the debt is all paid for, but I know it's true. I guess it's also the responsibility of it all that would make it feel so much more worth-it and fulfilling in the end. Just like with anything else in life, the feeling you get after getting something you worked for is so much richer, so much more heart-warming and so much more meaningful than something you got through a dole-out. Not to say that dole-outs aren't good; in fact they are VERY VERY VERY much welcome. All I'm saying if part of enjoying the gain, more often than not, entails going through some pain.

Starting with.. no unnecessarily shopping starting today. I made some progress in January, it being the leanest month (spending-wise) for me, since probably my first few months of working. I just hope I keep it up. Hehe. I have a feeling I will be able to, though. Nothing takes the wind out of your clothes-shopping urges than a mortgage staring at you squarely in the face.

Let's not forget to celebrate too, though. We're officially homeowners! Hoorah! A feat by itself :)

House Stuff Hunting Day

So we went house stuff hunting today, before we went and watched The Blind Side. I loved loved loved loved it! I loved the idea of us putting together our first home... together. More than going through fixtures, furniture and appliance shopping, I loved the discussions we had when going through our many choices. I loved the talks about what we want to do with each room of the condo, how we want things fixed, how we envision living together. I loved it all, so much so that there was a point I remember wishing we had a video cam pointed at us, so I can document the moment and cherish it forever. I can't wait for our home to be done, to be up and running. Then again, just like with the wedding preps, I am so happy that we're having such a great time with the house planning. I am so thankful that we have this stretch of time to enjoy. If there's a honeymoon which is the period after an official union, I wish there was a term to define the period leading up to it. Like a "prequel" of sorts. It deserves a name, because something that makes me so so so over-the-moon happy, much like how I envision our honeymoon will make me, deserves a label to be called by.

Bottom line: I love love love love today, because I love love love love you.

=)