Monday, April 30, 2007

Pong! Chow! Kang!

We are supposed to go to Pangasinan last weekend with his relatives to attend their town fiesta. I’m a bit excited to go for I heard of many wonderful beaches in Pangasinan. Unfortunately, they decided not to go and instead plan an outing with us and just his parents. We figured it’ll be a great bonding time for us. The plan was to come from his aunt’s house then set for Pansol’s hot springs on Sunday. On our way to his aunt’s house, we had trouble with the car. Good thing we did not pursue Pangasinan! So our plan to go swimming was changed to a day of playing mahjong! When I learned that JayR knows how to play this game when we are still dating, I know I won’t have a hard time introducing him to my clan. Almost all of my cousins in our clan (mother’s side) know how to play this game! We played the whole night and day with just lunch and dinner for break! Though we just stayed at home for the weekend, I feel rested and contented. We did not go to swim in pools but we swam figuratively speaking in tiles of mahjong! Next week, we are scheduled for an outing for my mother’s birthday and we are again expecting a match of games of mahjong! Game On!

Monday, April 23, 2007

Sizzling Puerto Galera


It’s been a year since I’ve been to Galera! I never thought I’d be back here. I’m not a beach fanatic. But when our department decided to have our company outing here, I got excited na rin. Lalo na when we planned to include the Banana boat ride in our itinerary. Plus I got JayR to tag along with us for a minimal cost.



This time it was hotter in Galera. Probably due to the heat wave that’s been hitting Pinas lately. It’s still crowded but not as crowded as last year though we went not on holy week as we did last year. We took a 7:30am (which left at 8am) boat ride from Batangas Pier to White Beach. It’s really the only agonizing part of going to and fro Galera. As anticipated, the boat was fully loaded. I survived the boat ride without throwing up. :D Hooray for Bonamine! Perhaps sleeping through it helped me as well. We had little sleep the night before for we are supposed to be on board the bus by 4am. So we took every chance we got to snooze a bit.

We ate the lunch we brought once we’ve settled to a house we rented. The house has a two bedroom inside and 1 bedroom with its own T&B outside. It’s complete with kitchen and all its amenities and a Cable TV. It’s really like a house that the owner left for a while. After some rest and swimming, we went snorkeling!
The boat man took us to 3 snorkeling spot. But to my disappointment, none of them seem to have a live corals. I was amazed before with those corals but after we have seen the beauty of underwater in Bohol, all the corals in Galera seems dead to me. I just tried to look for some fish and enjoyed the sea. On the third snorkeling spot we went to is in just shallow water. JayR and I did not bother to go see it. We went ashore for some walking and picture taking.
On that shore was a floating resto bar which was just a floating raft which sells Halo-Halo last year. It expanded to more than twice its size. I was even surprised to see it on the bay of White Beach later that night. We had a hearty feast at Fernando’s Restaurant. We ordered Sinugba meals to satisfy all our cravings and hunger. Chicken Kebab is my favorite! After dinner, we strolled along the beach to check out what’s going on at night. There’s not much activity that night except for the dance show that 3 gays did to the music of PussyCat Dolls! I’m not sure if it’s at Tipzynakku Bar but a small crowd gathered to watch them dance. Great way to attract customers! Since we can’t do much that night, we decided to get Henna Tattoo! We found Black Inx at the far end of the beach. That’s where I had my glitter tattoo last year. I was happy with my glittered Tarantula then so I thought they’d do better again this time. I had a butterfly glitter tattoo done at my upper left back. The outline was done with Henna while the insides of its wings were red and blue glitters while its body was filled with gold glitters. JayR had a lion face facing sideways done at his left arm. He was so happy with the output that he liked to have another tattoo done at his right arm. If I gave in to his charm he would have done so but I thought one is enough. Had I approved, we might have gone home having his whole body tattooed with Henna. :D We strolled further until we decided to just sit along the beach. Tired myself, I fell asleep in an instant on his lap. I woke up when I felt chill already. We looked for our other companions along the beach but to our dismay all were asleep already. As we headed back to the house, we passed by a hotdog stand. Do we have to surpass this?? Naahh!! We enjoyed the hotdogs on stick as we head back to the house.

The next morning was the day I was anticipating for the whole trip! Banana Boat Ride!!! This is my first time to ride it. I was 2% nervous and 98% excited! I’ve always wanted to do this ride but never got the chance. We were instructed to release our hold of the reins during the drop. I tried to remove the stories I heard of those who broke their arms riding the banana boat off my head. I just thought I have JayR to rescue me if ever.
The ride had surpassed all my expectations. It was all fun to the 100th level! I don’t mind if my ears were filled with water when we were first dropped. I don’t mind if I have to climb the banana with more than one attempt. I tell you this is exhausting. I don’t mind if I was thrown out of the banana boat alone while all the others are still on it! Hahaha! Advise lang, if you’ll ride the banana boat, don’t lather up yourself with lotion. It’s harder to climb when you’re slippery! Hahaha! The most fun here was that we had a photographer ride with the speed boat capturing all the wonderful moments alive! Thanks Sir Malvin for taking the courage to take our photos! We salute you!

After the banana boat ride, we went to shop for souvenirs and prepared to set home. Of course, we can’t pass another chance to grab a hotdog and some fruit shakes! Yummy! Our boat ride to Batangas Pier was scheduled at 12pm. We have little time to shop. We were still shopping when everyone was already boarding the boat. To sum it all up, we had a great time and tan! I never thought that I would enjoy another day at the beach!

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Antonio's @ Tagaytay to the Rescue!

You've waited 1 year for this very special day just to find out it will fall on a Good Friday. Yeah right! The thought of having our anniversary on a Good Friday keeps on bothering me a week before our special day and its very self explanatory why. Almost all establishments will be closed and I'm afraid I couldn't even give her a single decent flower on that day.

Until I found a paradise named Antonio's Garden in the vicinity of Tagaytay. Special thanks to Mr. Google, I really owe this one to you. I search for contact numbers and without any futher delay, I made a reservation for two. When the receptionist asked me for the date, I replied quickly without any hesitations but loaded with tons of prayers, "April 6, Good Friday at 5:30 pm.." Prayers answered! They will be open on that date. Actually I made a reservation because I want to surpise my date with some planned gimmicks with the help of course of the waiters/coordinators there since I'm planning to launch the million dollar question to her on that day. But immediate change of plans. I realized, not for any religious reasons, that it will better if I will do my proposal on some other day so I can further enhance it with other spectacular stuffs. (See previous blog entry). But good thing I made the reservations because they don't accept walk-in customers. That day, even though how dark to others, was fully-booked. And Im glad were in! God is really good..

I can simply describe this splendid place in one word -- perfect! I've seen some pictures of this place in the internet and from there, I can clearly see that this place is very remarkable, but being there and seeing it personally further amplified the awesomeness of the place. Though it is quite expensive, around P2000+ per head, this can be compensated by very cozy ambiance, excellent service from the staffs, the delectable foods (from the salad, the soup, the main course all the way to desserts), not to mentioned that all of the foods they serve are freshly cooked when you order it. After our hefty dinner, we took some more strolling around the place to burn the calories we gained, taking some pictures of antique stuffs. By the looks of it, Antonio’s seems like an ancestral house. We also enjoyed the sight of the coy fishes in their mini lagoon which truly adds to the serenity of the place.

Surely at the end of the day, we got all our money's worth! There were no fancy gifts and stuffs nor colorful flowers that night but Antonio's made that night worth remembering. And with this experience at Antonio's, I can say that this is truly one of the best dinner we ever had.

Collide @ Manila Pen

Sunday, April 8, 2007

His Grand Proposal!

A lot had been asking how he proposed to me. It is one question I hope no one asks because I have no answer yet. But it’s unavoidable. Now I have the answer to that question. For today, Easter Sunday, he surprised me with a grand proposal! I never asked for it for I don’t want to have a proposal just because I wanted it. I’ve accepted the fact that I won’t have one. I’m more than happy just to have him as my future hubby that a proposal is not necessary. Yet lo and behold, he is in fact planning one for me! He conspired with my mother and brother to get me home right after mass. I’m supposed to go to the gym after mass but when my mother saw me packing my stuff, she asked me not to do so for it’s easter and she is expecting a visitor that they would not reveal to me who! To make the story short, I complied.

When we get home, I went straight to my room! I was so surprised when I saw loose rose petals scattered on my bedroom floor. Balloons with “Thank You” notes attached on each string were tied to my bed and all over my room. On my bed lay a 1 dozen red roses and a round box which is tied to a big yellow balloon. I caught him off guard for he didn’t hear us arrive. Funny thing was, I was texting him all along informing of my whereabouts and his. After I composed myself, he had me first watch the first half of a short video he made before he asked me to read all the notes in each balloon. After which, he continued to play the video. At the end of the video is written the message “Will you marry me?”. Then he had me open the box. The box was filled with chocolate kisses with tags of “Will you marry me?” and two pieces of plastic easter eggs, one red, one yellow. He then asked me what my answer is! Of course I said “YES!!! I will marry you!”. He first opened the red egg which reveals a picture of himself crying. That is what I am supposed to get if my answer is NO. He then opened the yellow egg which reveals a diamond ring! I was so happy when he slipped it to my finger. It fits perfectly fine! Surprisingly, I didn’t cry. Maybe because I was anxiously anticipating what will happen next! I ran to my mother and showed the ring to her. She said his gratitude to him for making her daughter happy and wished us both well.

To you love, thank you for this experience of once in a lifetime. It’s always been a dream of mine to experience being proposed to in a romantic way! Even without it, I’ll still marry and love you for the rest of my life!

Friday, April 6, 2007

I Love You Because..

I love you because..

You give me flowers
You love my cooking
You give me surprises
You don’t smoke
You give me all the shrimps on the plate
You too are a picture addict
You hold my hand always
You always want me to be happy
You never forget a special occasion
You are so sweet
You make me say “I love you” easily
You are the man I will marry!

Happy Anniversary Love!

Thursday, April 5, 2007

Wedding Updates: Initial Accomplishments

Only 8 months remaining and what have we accomplished? Well, we’ve already settled 4 of the important factor for our special day; Church, Reception venue, Photographer, and Videographer.

Church: Sta. Clara de Montefalco Parish

We already made a reservation with St. Peter and Paul Parish when we learned of the Sta. Clara de Montefalco Parish. Tagged as the Tallest Church in the Philippines, Sta. Clara de Montefalco stood 57 meters high. You can actually see it along C5 highway from Market Market! to Kalayaan Avenue. Scan the area on your right and you’ll not miss its dome. That’s how tall it is. My only fear is that it is only around 90% complete. Will it be finished by January?? That’s the ultimate question! The parish office won’t divulge much information on when it will be finished. It will all depend on the fund that the church will acquire or hopefully have. The interior of the church is already finished except for the dome which is just above the altar. A mural painting will be made to finish the dome. I even read that an elevator will be constructed to allow visitor to see the dome up close. I don’t mind if that elevator did not make it to our wedding. I just want a door installed ASAP! Hahaha! Until now, there’s no door installed just yet.
Without it I would have to think of other ways to add drama on my emergence before walking down the aisle. I have ideas already but I still have faith that a door will be installed in time! Aside from those, glass stains would have to be installed. That’s the least of my concern right now. I just want a door! Hahaha! We plan to visit it monthly to see any development.



Reception: Makati Sports Club, Ayala Hall

We don’t know why but there’s something about this place that makes us both feel at home. Aside from the fact that the hall is like a hotel ballroom, it is unbelievably cheap also. However, we can’t get Hizon’s to cater us since they have their own caterer. But we don’t mind. So far, all I hear are praises on how their food taste. We will just get Hizon’s dessert buffet instead. All we need is to hire a professional to perk up the place. Although it has an interior of a hotel ballroom, I don’t think a flower arrangement s enough to set the right mood.

Photographer: Smart Shot Studio

We booked Smart Shot on-the-spot in a bridal fair we attended in Megamall. We just got their Photo Package for we have a separate videographer. We still haven’t met who will be the photographer assigned to us. Among the various photographers in the fair, Smart Shot had offered us a complete package at a discounted rate. We also like the layout of their albums.

Videographer: Threelogy

It was a very good friend who introduced me to threelogy. I’ve seen their on-sites AVPs and it never failed to make me cry. Since then, I wanted them to cover our wedding. They are a bit expensive but it is something that we don’t want to take for granted. Their work will relive this special occasion in the future. I emailed them last January to ask if they have no bookings on our date yet. Their reply is negative! I was sad for a few days until I just accepted the fact that we can’t have them cover us. Until one fine day, one blessed day, I received an email from them informing that they are again accepting reservations on the day that we wanted. Apparently, the couple who made a prior reservation cancelled for some reason which brought us luck. I just hope their wedding was just rescheduled and not cancelled. We have no time to lose, the following night we went to meet them personally to make reservation! The next thing we need to settle is the music which will accompany our on site AVP! And the door!!! The shot of slowly opening the door with slowly showing the silhouette of the bride have always been the climax of their on site AVPs. I just have to have a door to have that shot! Hahaha!

Other things we have to settle are the gowns, suits, invitations, souvenirs, and other small details. Otherwise, we are all set!