Thursday, October 27, 2005

...yeeeeeeeeeeehaww

Everything is moving so fast that I hardly have time to write my blog. (ndi dahil mashado ako nag-enjoy! *sapok jane and harbie*) I’m doing my turnover for this week and tomorrow will be my last day here in Pramerica, then I have a one whole week of rest, yahoo! A bit of kwento about our Discovery Suites day, I liked Linden better. But we did have a better room and a bigger bathroom which we fully enjoyed, thanks to the big bottle of bubble bath soap we brought. I can still feel my bump at the back of my head from lying in the bathtub. *ouch* I liked Linden better because of the breakfast buffet, we were ready to go PG mode (patay-gutom) but they didn’t serve any food for breakfast that is worth getting gluttonous for.  At Linden, they had bacon, Danish pastries, donuts, waffles, pasta, and lots of mangoes and other fresh fruits. I think Discovery only had better juices, they had watermelon, dalandan and orange juice but overall, mas masarap sa Linden.
     Uwi na kami ni Pangs, it’s been a busy and tiring day. Today was our employee get-together and I.T. was the host. Our theme was western and I got the chance to wear my sister’s boots and be a cowgirl for an hour. I’ll post some pics if I feel like it. hehe. Bye all!

Friday, October 21, 2005

...wedding update, 91 days to go!

System Time: 2:12 PM
i am soooo tinatamad so i'm going to post my second blog for the day... i got in the office around 10:30 a.m. (think i keep on beating my personal record for tardiness) and i caaan't believe it's only two-f*cking-thirteen.. haay, it's gonna be a looong day. since i can't think of any other subject, i'll write what any other bride-to-be will write about, the wedding day preparations. I've never actually realized that i would be such a "high-maintenance" kind of bride, i've always thought that i would like simple stuff, ergo, cheap stuff. but as we go along the preparations, i'd read about loads and loads of ideas that i would find irresistable and i had no idea weddings could become so commercialized. Chocolate Belgian Fountains, Tiffany Chairs, Gazebos, Wedding Artbooks, all kinds of stuff that i've only heard of since the preparations that are so damn hard to resist (i'm proud to say we only succumbed to the gazebo part) .. the items go on and on (butterflies, live bands, personalized flutes, personalized cake servers, personalized everything!) with the idea that each item will make your wedding a truly unforgettable event..i go on thinking it's only one day and then you think, that's precisely the reason why you want it to be oh-so-special.. i'll only get married once (hopefully, haha!) and why not get those cutesy butterflies flying over your church as you walk down the aisle.. i honestly tried to determine which ones i want to splurge on (wedding cake, make-up, entertainment) and which ones to be a tad bit budgeted (gown, venue, caterer) but will still make guests wonder how much we've spent on them..

when we were looking for a church, i only said one thing to pangs. I want a small church, 'cause i've always wanted a 'A Walk To Remember' kind of wedding where the chapel was full. i don't want to walk down the aisle with empty pews. I don't remember how we went to NSDG, or when we decided to go there. i think i only showed it to Pangs because i know that it's only a small church and i've attended my cousin's wedding there before. but i have only truly appreciated when pangs and I went there together, and it remains beautiful and quaint, and so photogenic. Plus it only costs 10k to rent it! i love it!

Initially, we wanted a garden wedding so we just booked the garden beside it so that guests could conveniently walk to the reception area after the ceremony. But when Raymond's parents saw the place, they didn't like it. It was a shame they didn't maintain the place in between weddings, so it was difficult for us to convince the oldies that it will look good once it's all dressed up. The search for a reception venue was a difficult one, because we already had a caterer (more on that later) and we only needed to book a place, not their food. (hotels are definitely out!) My cousin (the same one who got married in NSDG) had their reception at the PSE Auditorium and i was adamant not to have ours there 'cause who wants to become a copycat? i want my wedding unique! so we searched in all other places, Kasalikasan at The Fort ('no good' sabi nga ni MIL, malamok daw sabi ni Ate lala, pagumulan, super putik), Lepanto Penthouse (too small for our 200 guests, no dance floor, no room for our band), Bramante Poolside in the Renaissance Tower (mataas, wala pang elevator!, kalat-kalat ang guests) then Palladium Clubhouse in Shaw (plain ugly).. i had to concede, we went to PSE Auditorium and it was perfect. a Large square place, carpeted with a hotel-like ambiance with it's modern chandeliers.. no wonder Ate Lala chose this place. So there and then, we booked it and the search for our reception venue is over.

We knew that half of our budget will go to the food, so i emailed, got flyers, called, got faxes of every single caterer that i could talk to until my file got a foot thick. We had wonderful and pathetic experiences with food tastings but our experience with Swan was the one that we really liked. We got lucky 'cause our contact person is Irish, a frank, honest employee in Swan. Honest in a way 'cause she would tell us "Wag na kayo kumuha nun, mahal." or "for 150 persons na lang, wag na 200, kasya na yun". We didn't want to get Swan initially, because there menu is quite limited. We just decided to go there for the heck of it and for the free food. When we got there, they served us from the appetizers to the dessert. The whole damn course. I still dream of it 'til today, hehe. The food was surprisingly delicious considering it's very affordable price. We booked it, a week after our food tasting.

Ever since, I wanted a band for our wedding. I want Filipinos to learn to dance after the program, not eat and run like the usual. This is the part where Pangs really indulged me, by getting Sounds of Science, a group handled by the Sentimental Groove. I've seen their profile at kasal.com, and told Pangs about it day and night until he agreed to go to a live demo. We loved SOS! they were an upbeat jazz type of band, just the kind we want. We booked them on the spot. I've been having troubles dealing with their management, but i'm still hopeful that they won't disappoint us on the day itself.We already had our production meeting and I just have to constantly bug them for our listening session, one that is sooo delayed already. BTW, Pia, our contact person for their production team has resigned. Hay, problema na naman.

We initially didn't think we'd avail of any other wedding cake, since the available from Swan is already okay, it doesn't look like it's free and part of the package (unlike other cakes we saw from other caterers). But i've been drooling over a particular Judy Uson Cake since i started collecting the Metro Weddings magazine and found it in one of their back issues.. I was EXTREMELY surprised when Pangs went with it and in the end, he was just as excited for it as me.. it was a big whooop up our budget but i truly, truly believe it's gonna be worth it.

Tet Hagape has been a family suki, especially by my sister who has always been a bridesmaid for her friends' weddings.. (at least MOH na si Ate!) I had no other couturier in mind and am still happy with my dealings with Tet. She's so unbelievably cheap! Imagine, just 28k for my entire entourage including my bridal gown. And i didn't have to deal with the traffic and long journey (baka malasin pa ako sa makuha kong mananahi) to Divi for this! I have my fourth fitting on the end of this month. My entourage's fitting is on November 19. She sticks to the schedule and so far, we're waaay ahead of it. I'll probably have my gown ready by December!

Lala (of Interplay) is an angel in disguise. I swear, I love dealing with this girl. She's so full of incredible ideas and I've seen her work through the many w@wies who have booked her. Malapit pa sa Dangwa presyo. We'll be getting her for everything! The bridal bouquet, entourage flowers, church flowers and the reception. This is one aspect we're not the least bit nervous about. We're confident Lala will deliver.

I first heard of Madge Lejano from Jho, a pramerican who recently got married and got her for her makeup. She got rave reviews from her and she simply looked the part of a radiant bride on her wedding day.. She talked about how Madge uses corrective lighting, how she doesn't put makeup on the neck but blends the makeup really well.. how she likes no-make-up look makeup.. i was sold even before i had my TMU. the TMU was just a formality and I had it in Harbie's wedding. it had my makeup done by 3pm, and it lasted til midnight! I didn't like my hair though, haay, but the bottom line is i better gain weight 'cause i look so prikin payat. (lampayatot!)

hmm.. it's 3:56 PM, i managed to kill about an hour.. "uwi" na kami ng 5pm.. hihihi..

I had no idea a wedding can be so complicated.. i'm trying to accomplish the details too, 'cause i don't want to get frantic and frazzled by the minor details.. misalettes, program, tasks to do, delegating stuff, scheduling, etc.. i'll be starting my new job on the 7th of November and as always, pa-impress dapat muna. Bawal mag-absent, bawal ma-late. I try to insert any wedding prep on weekends, i'll probably start looking for the perfect wedding shoes next week. We've also completed our set of ninangs (yahoo!) so we'll hopefully have the invites finished by November. I still love looking at my wedding countdown clock 'cause I'm still amazed that it's a two-digit number already. Ang tagal kong tiningnan na 3 digit yun uh! A while ago I told Pangs "Pangs, let's talk about the wedding preps, I miss talking about it." We talked for about 10 minutes and the conversation moved to our still-missing-but-soon-to-be house. I also love talking about that, our future abode. Pangs basically tells me his ideas about the renovation, and I just tell him if i don't like a particularl idea, but overall, he has full rein with the house. We both want a modern asian house and we've been collecting 'Our Home' and 'Real Living' magazines and cutting out stuff that we would like to have. Malapit na namin mabili, just need a bit more patience and pretty soon, it'll become ours.

yessssssss 4:07 PM na. just less than an hour to go. Babay na.

p.s. Maraming salamat sa mga nagbasa. ang haba, ano? hihihi. Minsan lang ito. hehe!

...feeling rich again!

I’m all set! Sir Jojo finally found someone to replace me and he’s going to start on Monday. But as usual, it’s not all good news. Unfortunately, Sir Joel (Pramerica I.T. Manager) requested that they will only pay one consultant during the turnover, which means, I’ll be going to work next week for free! Gaaaah! *sighs* At least Pangs told me that I have his blessing to report for work for only half a day.. good news na rin at least makakatulog ako ng mas matagal, yahu! I’m already preparing all the documentation for my turnover. I’ll be passing a LOT of errors (kala nya madali dito, uh, hehe!) for my current project that’s only halfway done.  I don’t think I have enough time to finish everything by Monday so at least I’ll have the papers ready.
     Been watching 24 in DVD and I’m already on the 4th disk. It’s so freaking addicting, I can’t wait for the long break so I can watch it and watch it until it ends. I’m also currently reading The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I’m only halfway thru but I can say that it is simply brilliant! It’s chaotic and orderly at the same time. You’d have to read it to understand what I’m saying but I love how Henry transcends thru time and meets the love of his love thru his travels.  I’ll tell you more about it when I’m finished.
     Today is our Discovery Suites day. Woohoo!! So exciteeeeeed. Pangs and I bought a huge bottle of bubble bath (we’re now prepared, bweheheh) in the hopes of enjoying a long luxurious bath later  (and you know what, hihi).  I can’t believe Pangs is indulging me in these expensive suites, it makes me feel rich, even for just a day, lol! I can’t wait to go jumping up and down the bed again and watching Pinoy Big Brother in T.V. and eating in the bath tub, hehe!  Ultimate ka-jologans. *wiggles in my seat, excited na ako!*
     It’s only 12:36 pm so I still have time to finish a chapter of my book. Ay, also finished reading Jane Green’s new book, The Other Woman.  It was okay, nothing spectacular, but again, I do believe that Jane Green’s endings are getting better. Anyway guys, hope you’ll have a splendid weekend, as splendid as mine will be, BWAHAHA. Bye all!

Monday, October 17, 2005

...super poop

Last Saturday, I had my pre-employment medical exam at ICARE for CAI-STA… I had a gross encounter with my poop again, so I can give it to them for stool examination.. Pangs and I made up a super hero while walking on our way to the building (it’s a long walk from Enterprise Building, it’s on Legaspi St.).. he’s no other than, “Super Poop!” (original namin, noh?) hihihi. Pangs would hold my plastic bag with the poop inside and jokingly threatened to throw it at anyone who would stand in our way… “Beware of Super Poop and his poop pellets! Put-put-put-put! ” bwahaha. Also had to fill this huge container with urine for the drug testing. Dapat wiwing-wiwi ka para mapuno mo yun kaya mega hintay talaga ko. When I felt ready, it was so funny (and v.v. gross) to try to shoot my freaking wiwi to the itsy-bitsy opening of that damn bottle. My hand was covered with wiwi and I was scrubbing my hands for 3 happy birthday songs. (you know, you have to sing a whole happy birthday song while washing your hands, I did 3 just to be safe) anyway, after that, we went to NSDG to get our wedding banns and sample misalette. Was also approached by a w@wie there, Christine (tama ba?) and she said she recognized me from my blog. Hi Christine! Was nice meeting you! we got to talk to Kuya Melo, their in-house florist and he gave us this insanely high price of 7k for upgrade of the flowers. My golly, ang mahal. Good thing Pangs had the good sense not to give a downpayment already because he wanted to ask Lala (Interplay, our florist) how much it would cost her, if we ask for the same set-up as the one we saw. It was all white calla lilies on the stands, and white calla lilies on the aisle floor. She gave us a rate of 5k (yahoo!) and sabi nga nya, mahal yung sinabi ni Kuya Melo. Gotta remember to ask Arlene because I think I saw her name in Kuya Melo’s notebook and will ask her how much Kuya Melo charged them. Here’s our lovely, lovely church again.. ang ganda talaga! (sorry for the poor picture quality, these were just taken from my Motorola razr v3)

facade of the church.. ang photogenic diba?
our church

keh ganda ng ceiling!
inside

altar naman
altar view

pangs, the photographer
pangs photographer


if there's one thing that i don't regret about in the whole wedding preps, it's booking this church. i swear, it becomes more beautiful each time we visit it. After we decided to drop by PSE Auditorium, in the hopes of taking pictures of the venue so we can show it to Lala.. Unfortunately, bawal daw (grrr, sinabi ko pa kasi hehe!) but there was also a wedding later that night so they were busy preparing the Auditorium. ang ganda! Manila Catering ang caterer.. they had tall topiaries of white flowers and it was sooo elegant and beautiful. Maybe white is back! ganda talaga! bagay sa place and tall centerpieces because of the high ceiling and chandeliers. It also had a long, long table in the middle for the principal sponsors so perhaps, we would do that too. Anyway, ikukwento ko na lang kay Lala and hope we could go there with her too.

Sige, paalam na, Monday-Daming-Errors day eh.

p.s. Happy Birthday, Khristine Reyes!

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

...100 days to go

Wow, lapit na! I was a bit shocked when I saw my wedding countdown clock (a Christmas present by Pangs) , 100 days to go! how time flies! I remember waaay back in December when we started talking about it, and then the formal proposal on January 31st this year. It was one of our overnight workdays, so to keep us awake, we decided to go down at the back of the Enterprise building to smoke and rest for a while.  I noticed he was a bit fidgety and when we sat down, he suddenly reached out in his pocket and pulled this beautiful, oriental box. He opened the box and pulled a ribbon and tied the ribbon to my ring finger. He pulled on the other end of the ribbon and then I saw it, this beautiful ring that shone in the darkness. I watched it travel along the looong ribbon and into my finger. Tapos, hindi na-shoot! Haha! Si pangs ang nagsuot saken tapos he asked “Will you marry me?” syempre, you already know the answer to that and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.  Ngayon, 100 days na lang, ang bilis! Feb palang nagpunta na kami sa NSDG, we wanted a wedding on December 10 at that time. When we got there,  we found out that all the Saturdays and Sundays were booked from November to January. I was really surprised. I was thinking, ang eexcited naman ng mga ito. Yun pala, ganon talaga ang December-January weddings, parang business is booming sa mga church, hehe. So our wedding date has no significant meaning prior to this, it just happened to be the only available date for us. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise ‘cause it was much easier to break the news to our parents, when we told them we were getting married… ang script namin lagi “Next year pa po” (pero January naman, ano! The 30 days made a LOT of difference!) and when they were asked “Next year pa kasal nila!”  hehe, we were able to break the news much, much easier.

I’ve missed talking about my wedding preps, ‘cause I’ve been worried about other things like my job application, our house that we can’t seem to buy, and other work related stuff (like finding my replacement which I still don’t have).  Anyway, for the wedding preps, we now have our pre-cana certificate, thanks to Discovery Weekend. Tapos, shocks, wala na akong ibang update! Bwahahah! We will have a busy preps weekend though. On Saturday is our meeting with Swan again, and after that, our long overdue visit at NSDG to get the Banns, sample misalette, and other stuff that we have to inquire about, like flowers upgrade, priest stipend, etc.  We also have to schedule (if necessary) our Canonical interview, I do believe we’d have to skip a day of work for that, ‘cause it’s only held every Wednesday morning.
     We still don’t have invites, kulang pa nga kami ng isang ninang eh. Pasaway kasi boss ko sa Radix, hindi daw pala pwede. I understand naman eh, baka nga magtaasan kilay ng iba pag samin binibigay ang project dahil isipin nila special treatment kami hehe. Pwede makumpleto ang list if magtanggal kami ng isang ninong, kaya lang, nasabihan na namin lahat, baka weird pag bawiin namin, hehe!
     My fourth fitting with Tet is on the 31st of October, tapos fitting ng Entourage is on November 19.
     Just got off the phone with Roni.. CAI-STA na rin siya! Yahoo! Medyo usap-usap kami kasi she’s having problems with her hubby, Gilbert. Ayaw daw ni Gilbert umalis sa house ng parents nya, kaya si Roni, nauunsha-me. Dapat makausap yang si Gilbert para masapok, hehe. Kasi, lakasan lang naman talaga ng loob eh. Sabi nga ni Roni, kung hindi ngayon, kailan pa? I’ll pray for him na lang for him to come to his senses.  Kwento ko keh Roni, sa COGEO nga meh mga row houses dun na tag 120 sq.m na 600-700 sq.m lang! Dapat kasama si Gilbert pag nagikot para maappreciate niya and maimagine nyang nakatira dun independently. Baka makatulong.
     Anyway, thankful ako na hindi namin naisip ni Pangs na makitira sa mga magulang namin. TY God! Sige, dito muna. Babay!

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

...DW spoiler! don't read if you're going to attend a DW!

Helloeur! Last weekend was our DW weekend and it’s no exaggeration when I say that it’s the best weekend we’ve ever had. (Even better than Linden, hehe!) The lessons we learned there were numerous.  It’s not a group therapy kind of thing, it was mainly focused on the two of us, and every “dialogue”, I felt more committed to Pangs and surer of our decision to get married.  It was a pleasant surprise when we had a Sacrament of Reconcilation, I can’t even remember when my last confession was.  We were given a ¼ paper to write our patterns of sinfulness and I took advantage and wrote every single sin that pops up in my mind. I even wrote in the back page and I think I was the only one in the group who did that, hehe! I was thinking, “minsan ko lang magagawa ito, sulitin ko na!” lol! We also introduced someone in our relationship, and it is someone whom we have neglected for so long. He was the missing puzzle in our life and I’m so happy for finally realizing our mistake. We have now a threesome relationship,  me, pangs and God. I believe, with his Help and with His mother’s, we will never feel confused and alone again. Our facilitators were Tito Jojo and Tita Ditzy, a couple married for 37 years. What I liked most about the DW was the “focus on feelings part” and the correct ways to fight (‘cause we’re always fighting)
When fighting, you shouldn’t say ‘You are <noun> “ like “You are so lazy, You are so stubborn, etc” Instead, you should say “I feel <adjective>” like I feel neglected, I feel hurt, etc.”
Then there are 4 tips to fighting:
  1. Stick to the issues. Huwag mamersonal

  2. No bringing up of history

  3. Don’t hit below the belt

  4. Remember that the person you’re fighting with is a Gift from God
Hehe. At least when we fight (which we often do) we have the right tools. It was also a weekend of love letters, and endless writing.  I was pleasantly surprised to find Pangs writing his arm out and giving it his all. I love you so much Pangs, it is really God’s will for us to be together.

I met my fellow w@wies there, Abi ni Romy, Marj ni Lem, Amy ni Alvin, Jong ni Tonio and of course, my roommate, Cindy ni Mark. It was truly a day of friendship, but most importantly, a day for the three of us.. me, Pangs and God.

Yun na naman, oh, Anshe, if makulit ka parin at binasa mo itong blog ko, I really wish you’d go to a DW too. Ipagpepray ka namin ni Raymond at just tell me if ano yung problem for not going, we’ll help you out, ok? (*wink wink*)

Good morning everyone!

Thursday, October 06, 2005

...VB programmer, anyone?

I’m all set! I was able to tell Ms. Clarissa (the HR head) that I’m planning to get married on January and she didn’t even flinch. Hehe. She just told me that on my first day, to tell my Project Manager and that she’ll also tell the PM about my plans to give her a heads up.  She then proceeded to give me the list of requirements that I needed to submit on my first day of work (NBI Clearance, TOR, Diploma, etc) and other stuff like where to go for my medical exam. I’m supposed to be ecstatic with happiness but the problem shifted to Radix. Ma’am Queenie (my boss at Radix) told me I have to find a replacement before they let me go. I’ve asked everyone I know! Who would have thought that an experienced VB 6 programmer is so hard to find when it’s supposed to be the easiest language to learn. And I just haaate programmers who overestimate their VB skills. Pa-rate mo sila from 1-10 their VB skills, they’ll answer a whopping 9 or 10 then ask them about classes and they know zilch! As in zilch! They think madaling I-self study chuva, eh kelangan kong kapalit, marunong na talaga dahil itutuloy nya ginagawa ko eh. Walang maghihintay sa kanya para matuto. Haaaaaaaaaay. So please, if you know anyone, please send me their resume at gewi@gawab.com I’m getting a teeny bit desperate. ‘Cause the new programmer has to start on Oct.17! Sir Jojo, my AE at Radix is also searching for a candidate. Sabi ko nga tumingin sila sa Jobstreet eh, meh profile naman sila dun.  Haaay. Sana naman makahanap kami. Patay pag hindi.

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

...thanks, pangs! *mwah*

I’ve been really confused lately, as to whether I should tell my future employer that I’m planning to get married on January and might need 2 weeks off at most. My first day is on November 7, 2005 so by January, I’m still a probationary employee and being absent for 2 weeks might become an issue. Good thing I have my very sensible h2b who put things into perspective and created a pros and cons list for me to help me decide which step is the most logical. He said, if I say it this afternoon (during the signing of my contract) and they didn’t allow me to leave, I’d still have my current work. (I haven’t told my supervisor here yet) syempre nalungkot parin ako, kasi I want that new job talaga. Tapos eto he said, worst case scenario, we can delay our honeymoon (but definitely NOT the wedding!) when I become regularized. Yahoo! Ang bait talaga ng Pangs ko! Pero worst-case naman yon, I’ll plead my case for 2 weeks off, pag di pumayag, hihirit ako ng 1 week, pag di pumayag, saka na yung plan na yon. Gumaan talaga feeling ko after that talk with him ‘cause I’ve been worried sick and super confused on that issue since they told me that I’m hired.  *hugs my pangs*

Sa wedding preps naman, we now have the boxes for our invites and the gifts for our Principal sponsors. We also have finalized our souvenirs (wooden coasters, got the idea from alynn, a fellow w@wie), both my PS gifts and souvenirs are supplied by ms.Marge of Artfinds, a manufacturer and member of REMAI (rizal exporters and manufacturers association inc.) I absolutely want everything to be Filipino made and ms.Marge has wonderful products. She makes frames, lamps and other wooden products that are export quality and very affordable. (plus pa na she’s a friend of my mom) that’s another task done in our never-ending wedding preps checklist. Also had my 3rd fitting with ms. Tet Hagape.. I don’t know how to explain my feeling when I wear that gown.. it makes me feel like I’m just a kid playing dress up. Maybe when I’m all made up and have the proper make-up, I’d feel more of an adult. I’m 24 years old so I should feel and look like an adult, but really, when I put it on, haaaaaaaaay, hindi ko feel. Maybe it’s my flat chest. Haha! Nakakatawa nga eh, they’re putting double pads PLUS I have to wear a padded strapless bra pa! But may big difference nga when they put it on, hirap talaga pag payatot ( sana tumaba naman ako kahit papano. (diba meng and mai? Hehe!) also, iniba ko sleeves, pinalagyan ko ng konti kasi dati parang continuous lang.. so I’m scheduled for my fourth fitting on oct. 31. I’m soooo looking forward to my mini-vacation, once I leave Pramerica. I’m hoping by oct. 24, bakasyon na ako. Yehey! Magkokorea-novela marathon na naman ako nyan. Haha! Ang boring ano, tuwa na sa TV.

Sige yun muna.. ay, this Friday, magdidiscovery weekend na kami ni Pangs. Hoping to see other w@wies there.. sila cindy, amy and abi!

Babay!

Monday, October 03, 2005

...jump for joy!

I got the job!!!! Yahoooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!