AWEFULL

The highlight of my Christmas, of course, will have to be MY FAMILY. After all, they are the constant part of my life.. other people may come and go, but family will always be there. Only few people are blessed with beautiful and supportive family — I am one of them and I am thankful for it.

My holidays have been extraordinary because of the presence of my Dad, who last celebrated Christmas with us ages ago. The season even became uber special because we got to spend the days with my sister and her family, especially with our little Mikee who is already makulit and madaldal. How I wish we could celebrate like this forever, but my parents are set to leave again for Japan on the first week of January. *sigh*

I can cook. Ang kumontra malalason. Nyahaha!

We spent the Christmas eve at home. The whole family was present together with the family of my cousin who once lived with us when she was still studying. Mom cooked most of the dishes while they asked me to cook my signature tuna & mushroom carbonara. We ate even before the clock hit midnight (Oh well, that’s how we celebrate Christmas ever since.. hehe.. )

"Noche Buena" nang alas-7 ng gabi

The next day, Christmas Day, we went to Eastwood City to see the Christmas Village and let Mikee and Chelsea play…

Tiger look na naman si Mikee

Hansel & Gretel

Chelsea doesn't know how to smile

My uber kulit Mom, my maarteng pinsan and may pacute na brother

We also had a merienda at Italianni’s (that’s where I saw a wedding proposal! )….

Kanya-kanyang trip

And had our group picture taken (very seldom that we get to have our family picture so this photo will forever be special )

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree!

This has been the last leg of my month-long Christmas celebrations.

See, I have a wonderful family, a good career, an awesome set of friends, an exceptional lovey-dovey… What more can I ask for?

Merry Christmas & a Prosperous New Year! Hope you all had a blast, my dear friends!

————————————-
Related Entries:

Christmas Celeb: Vol. 5 (Gogolosh)
Christmas Celeb: Vol. 4 (Head Office)
Christmas Celeb: Vol. 3 (Dr. Love)
Christmas Celeb: Vol. 2 (Corporate)
Christmas Celeb: Vol. 1 (The Comics/Ditzy Diner)

If there’s one thing that makes my special days more special, I guess it’s the presence of my Gogolosh, my best friends in the whole wide universe. We have been spending Christmas together for almost a decade now and surprisingly, nothing has changed.. we always reap fun out of simple things that we do together.

Every year, we see to it that we celebrate Christmas in any way possible. Hence, right after attending our Head Office’s Christmas Party, I went straight to Podium to meet up with Gogolosh. We just had a simple dinner 2 days before Christmas. Too bad, Noelle wasn’t able to make it as she had another commitment. But I’m glad that Gny celebrated with us despite her being heavy with child (almost her due!)

Healthy Shabu-shabu
The Podium
Ortigas Center, Pasig City

Ready to fight!

I Looove Vegetables!

Nag-aalok ka ba o nang-aakit?

Nakaabot pa si buntis

Oink oink!

Mga PG!

Merry Christmas, tsongs! More Christmases to all of us. Alabyu!

Our company’s Christmas celebration didn’t end at our 60s-2000s inspired party at Strumms Makati, in fact we also had another party held at our Head Office in Ortigas.

There were lots of kiddos (my colleagues’ children and nephews/nieces). It was such a fun activity coz I really love kids (too bad I am not allowed to bring my nephew, Mikee, to parties like this.. his mom might kill me. Haha! ) I just enjoyed the day playing and taking pictures with the kids. If some of you remember, I was once practicing preschool teaching when I was still in school, but my career had to take another turn due to some personal reasons. You know, even if I love kids and I enjoy teaching there are still some things that I needed to bear (like almost playing a nanny to those kiddos, who, mostly don’t know bladder control yet) just so I can fulfill my dreams of becoming a teacher. It’s nice to take care of one, two, three kids… but when you say “class”, uh ohhh.. I think it was kinda traumatic for me. Hehe. Hence, I didn’t become a preschool teacher.

Okay, too much intro for this. Below are the photos of the kids taken from our Christmas party in the office.

Isn't she adorable? She's turning 3.

Want chocolates?

Isi and her niece

Nakikipagtarayan sya sa akin

Nikhie, pareho ba tayo ng iniisip?

We celebrated not just Christmas, but also our Managing Director’s birthday, hence, the cake.

Gutom na ko

Big Boss and our gift

And after making our bellies bloated, we had the usual kris kringle… and lots of kulitan.

Ako ang nabunot ni Boss

Team Leads

Boylets ko.. haha! Joke!

’til next year, colleagues! I had so much fun.

December 25, 2009
Italianni’s
Eastwood City, Quezon City

While my family and I were having merienda, the staff of the restaurant came over a nearby table where a couple was seated and started singing…

You know I can’t smile without you,
I can’t smile without you,
I can’t laugh
and I can’t sing,
I’m findin’ it hard to do anything.
You see, I feel sad when you’re sad,
I feel glad when you’re glad,
If you only knew what I’m go ing through,
I just can’t smile without you.

Singing waiters (Mikee is so chismoso, see where he was looking at)

Happy Couple

Then one of the employees brought a cake. I thought it was the girl’s birthday.. but then again…

See the expression on her face?

It was a wedding proposal. Too bad I wasn’t able to take shots when the guy wore the engagement ring and said the magic words.. pasensya naman po, paparazzi lang, kakahiya nga magpicture diba?

Haaaaayyyy… it was indeed nakakakilig.

Panira lang tatay ko, he kept on whispering “Hijo, do you have a job na?” Tsktsk.. panira ng moment.

The last time I celebrated Christmas with a significant other was two years ago, with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. It wasn’t even a “celebration” as we were never really together during special occasions. The reasons, of course, were already stated in some of my poignant entries here.

Since I am unaccustomed to having someone special on Christmas, everything that Nace did really pleased me. Perhaps, “pleased” is an understatement. Everything made me smile… and happy.

For a couple of days now he’s been telling me that he would be very busy this coming holiday season. He even told me he would have to go on duty (24-36 hours) every other day. Three days before Christmas, while I thought he was on duty, he called me up though I was working. I usually put my phone on silent mode whenever I am at work, but that day I wasn’t able to do it. When I answered the phone, he just asked me if I’m busy. I told him I’m not that busy then he said he’s at the lobby of the building where I work. I didn’t believe him at first because I really thought he was at the hospital. But he sounded so serious.

When I saw him at a coffee shop by the lobby, he was in his casual outfit. That’s when I realized he didn’t go to the hospital. I wondered why he went to my office (fyi, it was the first time that he went there). He even drove from QC all the way to Ortigas despite heavy traffic caused by the season.

“Bigay ko lang gift ko for you before ako makulong sa hospital. Para just in time for Christmas. I love you.” (then handed me a bulky paper bag which I initially thought contained a stuffed toy — had it been a toy, I swear I’m gonna hit him on the face ) Upstairs, I opened the bag and his gift is this…

Lowepro DSLR bag

A few weeks ago he asked me what I want for Christmas, he even told me “Nahihirapan na ako hanapan ka ng gift parang lahat meron ka na. What gadget do you need pa?”.. I just told him I don’t need anything at all. So I thought he won’t give me anything for Christmas. But of course, I was wrong.

I was very touched not because he gave me a material gift (kahit ako until now wala pa gift sa kanya ). I was impressed because I realized that he always listens to my nonsense stories. I remember one time we met up at his gig, I was late because I came from the mall. I was looking for a camera bag, something small and handy enough for a day/night out since my camera bag is so big I am not comfortable bringing it to parties. But it was a futile attempt as that bag was nowhere to find in Robinsons. Of course, my search for that thing was part of our small talks that night. I thought he wasn’t listening.. hehehe. It touched me that he exerts effort, he finds time… He doesn’t usually go to the malls but he did, just to find that small thing that would protect my “baby” Also, I know that he’s not that knowledgeable when it comes to gadgets and cameras so I know he really exerted effort to know what he was supposed to get.

His remarkable behavior didn’t stop there. I already anticipated not seeing him on Christmas eve because he had tight schedule. Also, I know that Christmas is for the family. We have already agreed that it’s gonna be for our respected families. I’m fine with it, anyway.

A few hours before the Noche Buena, he called me up and asked if I can join him for merienda. I obliged, not because I was famished.. but because I wanted to see him before he goes home to Rizal, his folks’ home. We had our own version of Noche Buena in a Chicken slash Chinese resto in Ortigas (pramis, what we ordered for were good for 4 persons.. haha!) then accompanied me to do some grocery shopping (I am not used to having a guy come with me to shop). He was very patient. He endured the “pain” of following me all throughout my grocery adventure.

Sorry, I wasn’t able to take pictures of our time together.. mejo hindi pa ako sanay kase. Hehehe.

It’s never really the material things that made me happy on this day. It’s the bliss that each moment brings whenever we are together. It’s his every action that sweeps me off my feet.

I’m glad it was a Merry Christmas after all.

The theme was varied, from 60’s up to 2000’s. Our unit was supposed to wear 70’s outfit. However, I had no time to find clothes that will make me look like Cher or Donna Summer so I just opted to wear a uber short dress and had to put on stockings as per my bosses. Below are some of my pictures. I have my own theme, I don’t know what era inspired me. Halo-halo na.. hahaha! Forgive me, I don’t have talent when it comes to costume party.

Boss, chicks.. haha!

Bagay ba sa akin ang kulot?

Di ko naman naitago yung black hurr ko..

And here are my colleagues, who, obviously exerted too much effort just so they could get the Star of the Night Award..

No ID, No Entry.. Hekhek!

Boni -- the Star of the Night

Si Bossing

My Prettiest Officemate -- Jhunella

Everest Boys

P&G Wintel Boys

Fun, fun, fun!

December 20, 2009
Strumms, Makati

In line with the season, parties are everywhere. Until now, I haven’t taken a rest from partying to death.. everyday, everynight…

For more than a year now, watching my friends do Stand Up Comedy has been one of my constant activities. Through this, I gained a lot of friends and found a new place to hang out at, Ditzy Diner. I love the place because it gives me that homey feeling, that even if I go there all by myself I won’t end up lonely for the rest of the night since most people there became my friends. Those whom I can spend fun nights with, at the same time worth giving my trust.

Last Friday, December 18, we had our Christmas party at Ditzy Diner. It was the usual Open Mic Night plus a lot of surprises. We had some sort of “awarding” ceremonies for the comics for constantly performing even if they do it for free. Another thing that made this night extra special was the appearance of Chin of MYMP. Since it was an Open Mic, he performed on stage with our friends and regular performers.

But the highlight was the “gift-giving” to all regular customers who have been religiously attending and making Open Mic Nights a huge success and a whole lotta fun. They all deserved this cute little gift…

Designed by Jay-Ar Tan of Ditzy Diner

Among the guests were my own tropa (who became regular customers as well)

Gogolosh and an asungot at the back

Isa pang shot with the asungot

Toinks!

GB and Gogolosh

Love my headband?

… the ever present gimmick buddies

with Papa Jim

… the performers

Nasisiraan ka ng ulo?

Hanapin nyo nga ako

Miriam Boys

Suplado nitong katabi ko.. haha! Peace!

And the boys.. The ever amusing boys.

Nilagyan ng Growee and Vodka at Beer

... at Star Margarine

... tsaka ininom.. hahaha!

.. til next year, guys! More power!