Baguio and Me

1987
My first trip to Baguio with Mama to visit Ate Elma who's having her practicum there. It was also my first loong bus ride but I didn't get bored. I remembered we got lost looking for Ate's dorm so we just roamed Burnham Park and Mine's View. It was also my first taste of strawberry with condensed milk. Yum!

1994
This time with Kuya Bong, Ate Susan and G-Anne. We went to the Pet cemetery at Camp John Hay and boat ride at Burnham plus other tourist sites.

1999
Same group and this time with Ayla. We stayed at the spooky Department of Justice compound..

2001
With the whole family since Ate Elma went home with her kids. Spent time ukay ukay for hours and hours..rode horses at Wright Park..

2003
With the Tagumpay group to attend the Panagbenga festival which was a huge headache since ang daming tao and super traffic! Buti na lang makulet sila Rommel and Ate Mayeth kasi tawa kami ng tawa the entire time. Ate Lydia twisted her ankle but still went ukay shopping!

2006
With the family and just had dinner at Pizza Hut since we got home from Our Lady of Manaoag church. Dumayo pa ng Baguio para lang kumain ng pizza at di na nakalibot kasi gabi na..pauwi to Sta Maria, Pangasinan we got spooked coz naligaw kami and napunta sa talahiban na bukid..the driver was trying to follow a headless biker and para kaming hypnotized coz everyone was silent except for Dad who was the only person to say we were going the wrong way..Till now freaky pa rin pag naiisip ko!

2008
It's my first time at Teachers' Camp which is 100 years old already since it was built. Hindi naman spooky but I still didnt want to pee at midnight. We had our planning session for the Tagumpay ng Panginoon charismatic community. Punta kami ng Grotto, SM baguio for lunch, ukay ukay but I didn't buy anything! And the Baguio market of course for the obligatory pasalubongs..

mowdel in the making

Ermita Heritage

This is my favorite blog topic - that I stayed in a prewar building in Ermita, the Forbes Park of the Spanish period. And so when I have time to search images and what not, I always google Belair Apartments or Lopez Apartments. So far I've learned that it was done by National Artist Pablo Antonio and that Americans used to live here.

This link is the postwar image of Ermita which was 85% destroyed. And yet it was a miracle that Belair wasn't bombed by the Japanese or it missed its mark..

http://www.pacificwrecks.com/provinces/philippines/manila/ermita/ermita-district-feb45.html

My dream is still to buy it from the Santoses / Lopezes and restore to its former glory. But that's just me..Hehehe..

My Old Manila

A month ago, Thelma and I went to Escolta and Chinatown for a food trip in Ambos Mundos, the country's oldest restaurant since it is founded in 1888. We ordered paksiw na lechon, ambo's fried rice and talong with bagoong, tomatoes, onions - yummy! The resto looks like a time-warped 1970's place. Soo cool.

We also had to chase the Pasig River ferry - we were supposed to board at the Escolta station but as usual naiwan kami since ang sarap nga ng fud sa Ambo's and the chika chika. So we went to the next dock in Guadalupe but naiwan ulet so nag Powerplant Mall muna kami. Then finally we got to ride the ferry which brought us to Mexico - Intramuros!

Of course when we're there, we have to go to Our Lady of Guadalupe chapel but it's closed na. Same with Ang Bahay na Tsinoy. So ayun, we visited San Agustin Church again, and mall ulet sa Robinson's Place with Jenny at the Spaghetti House.

My eyes were sated, my stomach full and my heart is happy. Thank You Lord.

Parties

8 years ago, my soul sister Thelma gave me a surprise birthday party. I was still mourning the death of Mama (barely 4 months pa lang), brokenhearted from my 1st boyfriend, fat and in deep, deep shit. So when my friends got food and gathered in our house, the tears continued to flow the entire night.

Fast forward to this year..It's payback time. It was 3 weeks of planning with Maro (her hubby) and Yen (no show). 1 party for 2 celebrants - Thelms and Jenny. And we need to outwit them. And we did! For Thelma..But for Jenny, it got ruined since she doesn't want to meet us kasi baha daw sa kanila. So we had to tell her that we have a party for her.

Rye attended a birthday celebration of my boss' twin boys and girl. He had fun with a face paint of Dory and the goodies.

Irish Memories

Aside from Italians, my next favorite nationality is Irish. Well, because Andrew Greeley and the Corrs are Irish and they just look soo good. They're Catholics, familial and are great artists, oh and they love to drink! Anyways, I met an Irish family when I hosted a wedding reception last June 21 where typhoon Frank was at its fiercest. It made me appreciate them even more coz the Cole family are so nice and really aristocratic. Also, I had a crush on Hugh - the bestman who fixed me a gin tonic and talked for hours that night. I met a real foreign hunk!

Wimbledon Sweetie

I knew it! Rafael Nadal was destined to win the Wimbledon..Wahh..I hart this guy. He looked so focused and determined. Those smoky eyes..sexy! Not to mention a striking resemblance with my highlander..

My fixation with tennis started when I was probably 5 years old, just before I went to school, since before "Batibot", tennis would be seen on channel 9 - John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, the 80's greats..And so I was hooked! This is my spectator sport since I don't play it, and every year I just have to know the who's who. For awhile, I was inlove with Pete Sampras and Tim Henman. And I wanted to be Martina Hingis.

I don't know what it is with tennis, but watching it is so thrilling for me. So it was major major pogi points talaga that he plays it well!

Never Knew Love Like This Before

I never knew love like this before
Now I'm lonely never more
Since you came into my life

You are my lovelight, this I know
And I'll never let you go
You my all, you're heart, part of me

Once I was lost and now I'm found
Then you turned my world around
When I need you, I call your name

'Cause I never
Knew love like this before
Opened my eyes
'Cause I never
Knew love like this before
What a surprise

'Cause I never
Knew love like this before

This feeling's so deep inside of me
Such a tender fantasy
You're the one I'm living for

You are my sunlight and my rain
And time could never change
What we share forever more
Ooooh-whooooa

I never knew love like this before
Now I'm lonely never more
Since you came into my life

'Cause I never
Knew love like this before
Opened my eyes
'Cause I never
Knew love like this before
What a surprise
'Cause I never
Knew love like this before

You are my lovelight, this I know
And I'll never let you go
You my all, you're part of me
Once I was lost and now I'm found
And you turned my world around
When I need you, I call your name

My Best Friend's Wedding

This was the background song of Tzi and Don's pre-nuptial video..Fell in love with it at first listen..

WHEN GOD MADE YOU
Its always been a mystery to me,
How two hearts can come together,
And love can last forever.
But now that I have found you I believe,
That a miracle has come when God sends the perfect one.
So gone are all my questions about why,
And i've never been so sure of anything in my life

Oh I wonder what God was thinking,when he created you.
I wonder if He knew everything I would need,
Because he made all my dreams come true.
When God made you, He must have been thinking about me.

I promise that wherever you may go, wherever life may lead you,
With all my heart I'll be there too.
And from this moment on I want you to know,
I'll let nothing come between us, and I will love the ones you love.
So gone are all my questions about why

Oh I wonder what God was thinking when he created you,
I wonder if He knew everythin I would need,
Because He made all my dreams come true.
When God made you He must've been thinking about me.

He made the sun He made the moon,
To harmonize a perfect tune,
One can't do without the other they just have to be together.
And that is how I know its true,
Your for me and i'm for you and my world
Just cant be right without you in my life

Oh I wonder what God was thinking,when he created you.
I wonder if He knew everything I would need,
Because he made all my dreams come true.
When God made you, He must have been thinking about me.

He must have heard every prayer I've been praying. He must've knew everything I would need

When God made you, He must've been thinking about me.

My Father the Great

Daddy,

Happy Father's Day! Thank you so much for taking great care of me and Rye..

For wonderful childhood memories..
trips to Luneta to see the fishes at pakainin ng fish cracker, tampisaw in Manila Bay when it was still clean and scaring the sea ipis away, strolls to the grocery and buying chichirya, watching Rambo, teaching the value of reading, your yummy sinangag every single morning, hatid sundo until 2nd year highschool, hatid even today sa guard house on my way to work, being with me during auditions, waiting while I took college entrance exams, not saying anything when you disapproved of my exs..because you let me decide on my own. Never ko naexperienced mapalo at all. Hindi ka din sumigaw at all. Where you get the patience and the will, hindi ko alam. Hindi ka ata tao. Alien! Constant. Strong. Supportive. Humble.

Thank you for teaching Rye to speak English hehehe. Thank you for being there. I'm gonna miss you when you go to the US of A.

Pero Hershey's lang katapat ok na ko. :p

My American Sistah

Today I got a long, long-distance call from my only sistah - my love and heroine. She passed the US citizenship interview so she's now officially Fil-Am. I also got to talk to Jocelle, my talented niece who looks like Mexican / Lebanese girl. I miss them soo much. I can't wait to see them again and have that ultimate shopping and dining marathon.

Postcript Sex and the City

The best person to watch SATC with is my other bestfriend last Saturday. So off we went and had a great time while munching on pesto pasta. I used to think I'm
Charlotte and a Carrie mix..Now I'm not so sure anymore..hahahaha (naughty wink)..

So anyway, thanks to SATC - my world got good again. Lately I've been so stressed with my night shift sked that I'm usually a zombie, caught between waking and sleeping plus thinking about stuff..and I'm glad I made that call.

Movie galore nga ko the past weekend. Sunday was Narnia film with Rye, Dad and Tet. Rye thinks the theater is his own playground. Hopping from one aisle to the other. Tsk tsk..

budding artist

Rye can draw a crescent moon,car, elephant and a regular smiley face..pramis! He draws better than me - good enough for a 3 year old. He also has a knack for photography - well, he loves taking photos of himself in my phone.

May is a Busy Crazy month

I can't believe it's been a month since my last blog..Been so busy with lotsa things. Work hours have been crazy, feeling call center na ko (1am to 9am kamusta) and there's going to be some going back to my homey probably next month. yihee!

Rye's bday was low key, at home with pancit, strawberry ice cream, red velvet cake and fried chix. His presents include 1 blue remote control car much like the Dodger in "Cars" from moi and a red Ranger from Ninang G and Ninong Rap, so it's pretty much fast cars on reverse mode all the time kasi hirap syang magforward hehehe. He got clothes from Ate Susan and Kuya Bong and Winnie the Pooh art set from Kuya Jun and Angel. Oh no, after opening it, wla na yung ibang stencil parts..

He was happy! Just running aroung with the cars and his cousins.
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Yesterday I attended my best friend's wedding. It was the most beautiful wedding- great weather, good food, unique program, awesome entourage - me as maid of honor!

Tzi or Tamay as I call her is my best bud since grade 5. She is my anchor, the constant constant friend kaya nga theme song namin is "One Friend" - yes, if I had only one friend left, I want it to be her..

Sa sobrang tagal na naming magksama, wala na tuloy akong kagroup kaya nsa Immediate family table na ko belong. I got sooo inspired, yung tipong cge na nga, what the heck, I want to get married na nga din in...2012! hahahaha..

Proud Mommy

Summer Swim

I spent three wonderful years with this happy bunch of people. On the side shopping trips in Carriedo, Escolta and Divi, siomai eating and other special fun times. Every summer (this is our 2nd year) we have our reunion swim and just talk about everything, particularly those who are absent..hahaha.

This year we went to Taytay,Rizal..ang haba ng byahe namin, parang ang layo layo sa Manila. Then we set up for some serious cooking which lasted two hours. Gabi na when we went swimming. The next day cooking sesh ulet for brunch and super bitin ulet ang swimming. Hay..

Valentine in April

Someone taught me a new sentence last night.

Ay Ayaten ka.

(all together now, with feelings) "Arrgh...!"