Giving Back to God and to The World
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Wow, it's been 12 days since my last entry. By far, the longest I've gone without blogging.
I have the perfect excuse. Work.
When you work in a restaurant, December is the busiest month of the year because of the Christmas parties and get togethers with friends and when you handle the reservations of four branches, it gets really tough.
But I also had another good excuse. My birthday. I spent the entire 2 weeks preparing for it.
You see, I'm not big on birthdays. To me, my birthday is just an ordinary day except I get older. My last party was when I was in second year college and ever since, I'd just have dinner with close friends and my family. This year, I decided to throw a big ass party, inviting everybody.
I'm turning 24 this year. 24 years old sounds so adult. Unlike when you're 18, you're an adult. You can now drink alcohol legally, drive legally, watch porn legally but you know you're not quite that yet because you're fresh out of high school. It's the same when you're 21. You're an adult but not quite yet (again!). It's like having one foot out of the door already but the other is still inside your parent's house. More often than not, at 21, most people still live with their parents. 22 and 23 sounded like an awkward age to celebrate your adulthood and so I decided, 24, it is.
I wanted a huge party. I wanted to invite my high school barkada, my college friends, my college blockmates, my entire family, A's family, A's barkada, the management team of the bar, investors of the bar and all others who helped me out. All in all, my guestlist was close to 140 people.
But there was a reason for throwing such a big party. I wasn't doing it for the sake of throwing a party or having all the people I love under one roof or because it was my birthday AND my 2nd anniversary with A (Yup, we're turning 2 years, a day after my birthday!) It was because I wanted to give back.
For a couple of years now, I've been so grateful of the blessings I've been receiving. Family, friends, love, health, work, strength, happiness.... Oftentimes, I'd ask myself why am I so lucky? Why is God so good to me? What am I doing to deserve such blessings?
Bilog and mundo. The world is round. One moment, you're up and the next moment, you're down. Right now, I'm at the top of the world with the many blessings I've been receiving and I fear the moment that I'd have to go to the bottom. I realized that it's not enough to be just grateful for the blessings. I have to give back to God and to the world while I'm at the top.
And so, the greatest catch of my birthday party, is that instead of gifts, I asked my family and friends to donate to the 2 groups I'm supporting:
1) The Missionaries of Charity of Mother Theresa
2) Pacem Foundation (a foundation for seminarians who want to become priests but cannot afford the schooling).
At the same time, I'm donating a month's worth of salary to our parish who is currently in need of funds for the building of our church. Half of the donation was my way of saying thank you for another year in life and the many blessings I've received while the other half of the amount was donated as my way of saying thank you for the love and strength to endure the trials that God throws unto the path of my relationship with A.
My birthday turned into a fundraising event.
27 November 2004, The Day I Turned 24.
I left my house a little past noon and drove myself to my bar's branch in Ortigas where I was throwing the party. I was meeting Jeane and Glady there at 1PM to decorate the place. I was actually nervous driving myself because people say that you should be extra careful on the day of your birthday because danger lingers. It's some superstition I believed because on A's birthday, we almost ran over someone. In fact, we had to take the guy to the hospital to check for injuries! But that's another story.
The moment they arrived, we hurriedly went to work. I had to leave by 4PM to get to my 5PM appointment at Bench Fix, where I'm getting a manicure, pedicure and my hair curled. We hung the silver stars and silver swirls we've been working on all week, the white crepe paper curtains, and our money meter, which keeps track of the money we've raised.
I was surprised that we finished in time. I was actually worried that we wouldn't make it. We left the bar at 420PM while I moved my appointment to 530PM. I knew that on a Saturday afternoon, White Plains would be terrible and so earlier in the week, I looked for another route. True enough, I got home in 30 minutes, with a little time to grab something to eat and pass by the parish to donate the money. By 530 PM, I was sitting on a chair in Bench Fix. Everything was going according to my schedule. Perfect!
By 7PM, I left the salon and ran home (actually, I drove =p). I put on my makeup and put on my black flared skirt, my black halter top, which I altered a little so that it would have a deep V- neckline that would go down to my midriff and the hem ending right above my navel, and my sexy strappy sandals. It was my sexiest outfit to date. Sometime in between putting my makeup and dressing up, Glady and Jeane arrived at my house as they needed a ride to the party. After all the help they've done, it was the least I could do.
A arrived to pick me up at a little past 830. Thankfully, there was no traffic in White Plains and so we got to the venue by 9PM. On the way, I gave a little speech about how I greatly appreciated all their help in decorating the place. I knew they endured stressful days and sleepless nights- and aching backs- cutting stars and stringing them and as a way of showing my appreciation, I gave them both a gift certificate for either a Swedish/ Shiatsu/ Combination of Swedish and Shiatsu massage at one of my favorite spas. I gave A a gift cheque too because the week leading to my birthday and our anniversary, we were fighting constantly. =p
Needless to say, the party was a success. Many of my friends came, a lot of them I haven't seen in a long time. I had 5 shots of Tequila that night and was feeling woozy by then, partially because I didn't eat much that night. Perhaps, my favorite part of the night was when Jeane, Glady and I were counting the second batch of donations. We were all tipsy by then and so we had a hard time adding, either manually or with a calculator. After we got the figure right, (or so we thought, because later on, when we sobered up, we realized we were P1,000 over) we went to the money meter to update it. We were so tipsy that we had a hard time sticking the red strip of paper that indicated the amount we raised. Jeane couldn't stick the tape properly and kept saying, "Sh*t! I can't stick the tape right!" which we, in our drunken state, found so funny that we laughed so hard, I got teary eyed and almost peed on the spot. Good thing I remembered to hold it in.
But the tipsy-ness did not last. I sobered up when Cel and I had to rescue Riz in the bathroom because she was feeling dizzy and faint. It was a good thing her boyfriend ran to the bathroom with us and so he was able to catch her the moment she collapsed when we walked out the door. We revived her quickly by fanning her and letting her drink water. I think we just discovered that she's allergic to alcohol. She claims it was the first time for her to feel that way though she had beer before. (But I guess not beer AND tequila).
That night, we raised P20,440 and up to this day, there are still pledges coming in. I still haven't received the checks from my uncle, my aunt and an investor of one of our branches.
Many have told me that they were proud of me, that my way of celebrating my birthday is unique and that most of all, I'm teaching others to give. Some have told me that when I give to others, it will come back to me a thousandfold. What they don't know is that, I'm only giving back because I'm receiving so much.
Sometime during the party, I appoached my grandmother and sat with her.
Cat: Lola, you know what? I gave Pxx,xxx.oo to our church today. They need it to build the church.
Lola: Really, that's good! You know, when you give to the house of God, to the less fortunate, it will come back to you thousandfold. It may not be in the form of money, but in can come in other forms.
Cat: Well, actually, Lola, the reason why I donated to the church and I'm raising funds for Missionaries of Charity and Pacem is because I'm thankful for the many blessings I've received.
Lola: (Gets teary eyed) I'm happy for you! (And then we hug)
Cat: Lola, I learned that from you...
Lola: (Gets even more teary eyed and tries to laugh behind the tears) So you learned something good from me?
Cat: Everything I learned from you is good.
It was my first worthwhile and meaningful birthday. 24 years in the making.
EDIT: As of 02 December 2004, I've raised P40,440!!!
I have the perfect excuse. Work.
When you work in a restaurant, December is the busiest month of the year because of the Christmas parties and get togethers with friends and when you handle the reservations of four branches, it gets really tough.
But I also had another good excuse. My birthday. I spent the entire 2 weeks preparing for it.
You see, I'm not big on birthdays. To me, my birthday is just an ordinary day except I get older. My last party was when I was in second year college and ever since, I'd just have dinner with close friends and my family. This year, I decided to throw a big ass party, inviting everybody.
I'm turning 24 this year. 24 years old sounds so adult. Unlike when you're 18, you're an adult. You can now drink alcohol legally, drive legally, watch porn legally but you know you're not quite that yet because you're fresh out of high school. It's the same when you're 21. You're an adult but not quite yet (again!). It's like having one foot out of the door already but the other is still inside your parent's house. More often than not, at 21, most people still live with their parents. 22 and 23 sounded like an awkward age to celebrate your adulthood and so I decided, 24, it is.
I wanted a huge party. I wanted to invite my high school barkada, my college friends, my college blockmates, my entire family, A's family, A's barkada, the management team of the bar, investors of the bar and all others who helped me out. All in all, my guestlist was close to 140 people.
But there was a reason for throwing such a big party. I wasn't doing it for the sake of throwing a party or having all the people I love under one roof or because it was my birthday AND my 2nd anniversary with A (Yup, we're turning 2 years, a day after my birthday!) It was because I wanted to give back.
For a couple of years now, I've been so grateful of the blessings I've been receiving. Family, friends, love, health, work, strength, happiness.... Oftentimes, I'd ask myself why am I so lucky? Why is God so good to me? What am I doing to deserve such blessings?
Bilog and mundo. The world is round. One moment, you're up and the next moment, you're down. Right now, I'm at the top of the world with the many blessings I've been receiving and I fear the moment that I'd have to go to the bottom. I realized that it's not enough to be just grateful for the blessings. I have to give back to God and to the world while I'm at the top.
And so, the greatest catch of my birthday party, is that instead of gifts, I asked my family and friends to donate to the 2 groups I'm supporting:
1) The Missionaries of Charity of Mother Theresa
2) Pacem Foundation (a foundation for seminarians who want to become priests but cannot afford the schooling).
At the same time, I'm donating a month's worth of salary to our parish who is currently in need of funds for the building of our church. Half of the donation was my way of saying thank you for another year in life and the many blessings I've received while the other half of the amount was donated as my way of saying thank you for the love and strength to endure the trials that God throws unto the path of my relationship with A.
My birthday turned into a fundraising event.
Glady, Me and Jeane, working on my decors,
on a Friday night, from 9pm-3am, in my office.
I brought a banig, Jeane brought throw pillows!
27 November 2004, The Day I Turned 24.
I left my house a little past noon and drove myself to my bar's branch in Ortigas where I was throwing the party. I was meeting Jeane and Glady there at 1PM to decorate the place. I was actually nervous driving myself because people say that you should be extra careful on the day of your birthday because danger lingers. It's some superstition I believed because on A's birthday, we almost ran over someone. In fact, we had to take the guy to the hospital to check for injuries! But that's another story.
The moment they arrived, we hurriedly went to work. I had to leave by 4PM to get to my 5PM appointment at Bench Fix, where I'm getting a manicure, pedicure and my hair curled. We hung the silver stars and silver swirls we've been working on all week, the white crepe paper curtains, and our money meter, which keeps track of the money we've raised.
Stars hanging from the ceiling
Curtains hanging from the entrance.
I have no idea who Glady is smiling at.
I was surprised that we finished in time. I was actually worried that we wouldn't make it. We left the bar at 420PM while I moved my appointment to 530PM. I knew that on a Saturday afternoon, White Plains would be terrible and so earlier in the week, I looked for another route. True enough, I got home in 30 minutes, with a little time to grab something to eat and pass by the parish to donate the money. By 530 PM, I was sitting on a chair in Bench Fix. Everything was going according to my schedule. Perfect!
By 7PM, I left the salon and ran home (actually, I drove =p). I put on my makeup and put on my black flared skirt, my black halter top, which I altered a little so that it would have a deep V- neckline that would go down to my midriff and the hem ending right above my navel, and my sexy strappy sandals. It was my sexiest outfit to date. Sometime in between putting my makeup and dressing up, Glady and Jeane arrived at my house as they needed a ride to the party. After all the help they've done, it was the least I could do.
A arrived to pick me up at a little past 830. Thankfully, there was no traffic in White Plains and so we got to the venue by 9PM. On the way, I gave a little speech about how I greatly appreciated all their help in decorating the place. I knew they endured stressful days and sleepless nights- and aching backs- cutting stars and stringing them and as a way of showing my appreciation, I gave them both a gift certificate for either a Swedish/ Shiatsu/ Combination of Swedish and Shiatsu massage at one of my favorite spas. I gave A a gift cheque too because the week leading to my birthday and our anniversary, we were fighting constantly. =p
Needless to say, the party was a success. Many of my friends came, a lot of them I haven't seen in a long time. I had 5 shots of Tequila that night and was feeling woozy by then, partially because I didn't eat much that night. Perhaps, my favorite part of the night was when Jeane, Glady and I were counting the second batch of donations. We were all tipsy by then and so we had a hard time adding, either manually or with a calculator. After we got the figure right, (or so we thought, because later on, when we sobered up, we realized we were P1,000 over) we went to the money meter to update it. We were so tipsy that we had a hard time sticking the red strip of paper that indicated the amount we raised. Jeane couldn't stick the tape properly and kept saying, "Sh*t! I can't stick the tape right!" which we, in our drunken state, found so funny that we laughed so hard, I got teary eyed and almost peed on the spot. Good thing I remembered to hold it in.
But the tipsy-ness did not last. I sobered up when Cel and I had to rescue Riz in the bathroom because she was feeling dizzy and faint. It was a good thing her boyfriend ran to the bathroom with us and so he was able to catch her the moment she collapsed when we walked out the door. We revived her quickly by fanning her and letting her drink water. I think we just discovered that she's allergic to alcohol. She claims it was the first time for her to feel that way though she had beer before. (But I guess not beer AND tequila).
That night, we raised P20,440 and up to this day, there are still pledges coming in. I still haven't received the checks from my uncle, my aunt and an investor of one of our branches.
Many have told me that they were proud of me, that my way of celebrating my birthday is unique and that most of all, I'm teaching others to give. Some have told me that when I give to others, it will come back to me a thousandfold. What they don't know is that, I'm only giving back because I'm receiving so much.
Sometime during the party, I appoached my grandmother and sat with her.
Cat: Lola, you know what? I gave Pxx,xxx.oo to our church today. They need it to build the church.
Lola: Really, that's good! You know, when you give to the house of God, to the less fortunate, it will come back to you thousandfold. It may not be in the form of money, but in can come in other forms.
Cat: Well, actually, Lola, the reason why I donated to the church and I'm raising funds for Missionaries of Charity and Pacem is because I'm thankful for the many blessings I've received.
Lola: (Gets teary eyed) I'm happy for you! (And then we hug)
Cat: Lola, I learned that from you...
Lola: (Gets even more teary eyed and tries to laugh behind the tears) So you learned something good from me?
Cat: Everything I learned from you is good.
It was my first worthwhile and meaningful birthday. 24 years in the making.
A and I at home, after the party
It's 5am and we're so tired!
EDIT: As of 02 December 2004, I've raised P40,440!!!
My Face is Hurting...
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
... from smiling widely!!!
Just an hour an a half ago, I received a text:
Just an hour an a half ago, I received a text:
Hi Cat, m pleased to inform
u that we chose (insert name of bar i work in) for
our bar services for the
party. Thanks for d prompt
attention 2 our
requirements. Wil fax u docs
tomorrow. :)
Ohmygod! I ym-ed my uncle aka boss right away. Thank God he was online! He rarely is at a time like this. He congratulated me and asked who were we up against. I couldn't resist but reply, "Teka! Tatalon talon muna ako dito sa office! :D (Wait! Let me jump around the office first! :D) Yup, I was at the office at 10:10 PM. I'm still here actually. I just had to blog about this moment.
Why am I so happy? Because this is a major account I bagged! Six figures, baby!!! The said company has 800 people employed under its name. They held their Christmas party at our bar 2 years ago, when they were only 600 people (What do you mean 'only'?! That's a lot!). It was the most difficult and tedious Christmas party we handled because the organizers had many requirements and ideas they wanted to implement. In fact, whenever we give our operations manager an exam, we give the details from the said company's Christmas party to see how will he/ she handle it!
Difficult it may seem but the earnings were well worth it! They had an open bar and anybody could just get any drink (provided they had stubs, of course!) Money was not even an object to them because they knew that most of the employees were nerds and geeks and that the Christmas party is the only time they let loose! And let loose, they did. Among the hundreds of parties I've handled, I've never seen as many people drunk/ passed out/ threw up at the parking lot/ had to be carried down the stairs as much as this company's.
I guess what cinched the deal for us was that we had an advantage over the other bars. After all, they held their party with us before and thus, we can gage, more or less, how much they can consume. I'm so glad that Cuervo decided to give 1,600- 2,000 shot glasses for their party (Whoa! That's a lot, I know!) That really sealed the deal for us.
Ah, I'm just so happy!
Now, I can never predict the future. But I foresee a big, fat bonus by the end of the year! :)
And The Truth Comes Out...
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Last Sunday, A and I were watching a face lift procedure being done on the tv drama, Nip/Tuck on ETC. Apparently, my little brother, Don, saw it too.
Don: What's that?
A: She's having plastic surgery because she's worried about wrinkles. But you don't have to worry about that until the next... (pauses to think for a moment)... 70 years.
Don: 70 years?
A: Yup, but you don't have to worry about that because you're a guy and guys become more gwapo as they grow older. Women don't.
Me: (Gasping in horror, my mouth dropping, my eyes wide in surprise, a hand over my heart)
A: (Realizing what he just said, rushes to my side) Oh, no, no, no, no!
Don: (Realizing what A meant) Except Ate Cat? (Awww, this boy is always such a sweetie!)
A: Except your Ate Cat, of course! She's the most beautiful woman in the world!
Me: (Pouting, pretending to be hurt) So, that's it! You think I'm going to be ugly!
A: (Sheepishly) Well, it's kinda hard to explain to him about love and all that (meaning looks don't matter when you love the person). It was the best way to explain it to Don!
Me: (Still pouting) Hmph! Now I'm sure I'm getting plastic surgery and you're paying for it! Hmph!
I'm kidding, of course!
Well, maybe I'm not.
We'll see..
Don: What's that?
A: She's having plastic surgery because she's worried about wrinkles. But you don't have to worry about that until the next... (pauses to think for a moment)... 70 years.
Don: 70 years?
A: Yup, but you don't have to worry about that because you're a guy and guys become more gwapo as they grow older. Women don't.
Me: (Gasping in horror, my mouth dropping, my eyes wide in surprise, a hand over my heart)
A: (Realizing what he just said, rushes to my side) Oh, no, no, no, no!
Don: (Realizing what A meant) Except Ate Cat? (Awww, this boy is always such a sweetie!)
A: Except your Ate Cat, of course! She's the most beautiful woman in the world!
Me: (Pouting, pretending to be hurt) So, that's it! You think I'm going to be ugly!
A: (Sheepishly) Well, it's kinda hard to explain to him about love and all that (meaning looks don't matter when you love the person). It was the best way to explain it to Don!
Me: (Still pouting) Hmph! Now I'm sure I'm getting plastic surgery and you're paying for it! Hmph!
I'm kidding, of course!
Well, maybe I'm not.
We'll see..
Negotiations in The Girl's Room
Last night, my sisters and I were hanging out in our room.
Me: Camille, can I have your Yupi burger (this brand of gummy- like candy shaped as a burger)?
Cami: No! I don't want.
Me: Please (practically begging)?
The begging continues for a couple more minutes.
Me: (Pouting) Whenever you ask me for soft batch cookies, I always give you.
Cami: (Laughing) But I only have one! Ask Judo. I got it from him.
Me: I did! He said he doesn't have! (Bringing out my Soft Batch cookies) Sige ka, I won't give you any.
Cami: (Laughing) You think that's gonna work?
Ara: (Hearing the conversation, looks away from her laptop) What's gonna wor-- Oooh! Can I have?
Me: Do you have yupi burger?
Ara: No.
Me: Sorry.
Cami: I need to write a letter! Ara, can I have a piece of stationery?
Ara: Give Cat your yupi burger so she can give me a cookie and I'll give you the stationery!
Haha! Problem solved! Everybody should be happy because it's a win- win situation. But Cami still wouldn't give me the candy so she ended up rummaging through her junk for paper. I didn't get my yupi burger but I ended up giving Ara a cookie though.
Me: Camille, can I have your Yupi burger (this brand of gummy- like candy shaped as a burger)?
Cami: No! I don't want.
Me: Please (practically begging)?
The begging continues for a couple more minutes.
Me: (Pouting) Whenever you ask me for soft batch cookies, I always give you.
Cami: (Laughing) But I only have one! Ask Judo. I got it from him.
Me: I did! He said he doesn't have! (Bringing out my Soft Batch cookies) Sige ka, I won't give you any.
Cami: (Laughing) You think that's gonna work?
Ara: (Hearing the conversation, looks away from her laptop) What's gonna wor-- Oooh! Can I have?
Me: Do you have yupi burger?
Ara: No.
Me: Sorry.
Cami: I need to write a letter! Ara, can I have a piece of stationery?
Ara: Give Cat your yupi burger so she can give me a cookie and I'll give you the stationery!
Haha! Problem solved! Everybody should be happy because it's a win- win situation. But Cami still wouldn't give me the candy so she ended up rummaging through her junk for paper. I didn't get my yupi burger but I ended up giving Ara a cookie though.
Weekend Recap
Monday, November 15, 2004
I just love long weekends! (Who doesn't anyway?) It means a shorter work week and more things to do than your usual weekend. So without further adieu, here's my weekend recap:
Friday
Friday
- Shopped at the street bazaar across my office and began my Christmas shopping. I ended up buying more presents for myself: 1 black halter, 2 off the shoulder tops (at P150 each? It's a bargain!), 2 camisole tops.
- Found out that A was going drinking with his officemates at 7PM, bitched at him the entire night for not telling me sooner so I could make plans with my girlfriends. Unfortunately, all of them had plans. Thus, I ended up dating myself.
- Went to Suriya Spa in Gold's Gym, Glorietta and got an aromatic massage using the gift certificate A gave me 11 months ago. My annoyance with A was ALMOST kneaded out of my body.
- Feeling better and slightly oily from the massage (I wish we could have a hot shower after having a massage!), I went to a place where I'd feel even better than I did- Powerbooks!
- Having no place to go, I decided to go home. EDSA was hell at 11PM so I turned into Pioneer and found my way to White Plains which became Satan's lair! Yes, traffic was worse than the one in Edsa. I was stuck for an hour!
- I passed by Tia Maria Cantina in Katipunan and bought enchiladas for dinner.
- Finally got home at 12:30AM. Popped Mean Girls on the DVD player and watched with Cami.
- Watched TV and read a book before going to sleep
Saturday
- Slept the entire morning. I had to transfer to my little brother's room (aka Boys Room) because the plumbers were coming to fix our bathroom. Our land lady decided to renovate our bathroom.
- Woke up in the afternoon to check my email and visit my favorite blogs.
- Took a nap with the little boys before taking them out.
- Woke up, took a shower and got dressed for my day out with the little boys.
- Went to the office to meet up with A
- Went to the Greenbelt and found out that the 630 PM show for The Incredibles was full already. It was only 530!
- Took the boys to McDonald's for dinner
- Took them to Time Zone and played with them, getting tired in the process
- Left them for a while and went to Powerbooks to pick up my discount card
- Came back to find my little brothers seated near Gonuts Donuts but even though they were seated, they were so makulit! A left to buy me my birthday present at Powerbooks, Sex and The City: Kiss and Tell. I, on the otherhand, went to Big Chill to buy Mango Strawberry shakes for A and I.
- Went up to the cinemas and bought iced teas and popcorn for my little brothers.
- Finally got in and settled down, throughout the movie, my brothers kept changing seats.
- After the movie, we went back to the office to pick up A's car and we convoyed home.
- When my brothers went to sleep, A and I finally had quality time for ourselves. We watched the last four episodes of Season 8 of Friends.
Sunday
- Slept the entire day again. I just love sleeping!
- Went to 530 PM mass in our parish.
- Met A at the office at 7PM
- Went to Makati Cinema Square, where I bought 10 DVDs.
- Had dinner at Yellow Cab
- Went back to the office to pick up A's car
- Went home ahead cuz A had to gas up
- Checked my email and bloghopped a little while waiting for A to arrive at my house
- Played a little while with my brothers and the little adorable kitten we found in our backyard.
- When my brothers finally went to bed, we were finally able to pop Stepford Wives and Eternal Sunshine on the Spotless Mind.
Monday
- Slept all day again
- Went online and did the usual routine
- Went to Bench Fix It to get a pedicure and began reading the Sex and the City book.
- Had dinner, entire scarfed down dinner while I was gone, I got teary eyed when I found out there was none left of the Inihaw na Liempo (hey! It's my favorite food and all my favorite side dishes with it were served too! Well, it's also my family's favorite dish!) I had left over menudo instead.
- Hung out with my sisters in my room and talked while blogging
Halloween: My Family's Style
Monday, November 08, 2004
I am blessed. My work enables me to go to Boracay, all expenses paid, at the seasons where everybody seems to be on vacation at the island. I've heard it all, voices laced with envy and longing:
"You're so lucky!"
"Can I work as an assistant for you?"
"You're so lucky!"
"Do you have any openings?"
"Ang swerte mo!"
"I'd work for free!"
"You're so lucky!"
Yes, I am blessed. But people don't know the other side of the coin. Don't get me wrong. I love love love going to Boracay on Holy Week/ Halloween but I cannot help but feel envious when I hear my siblings or relatives talk about how much they had fun together on those holidays.
You see, I have a pretty close knit family. We try to see each other on Sundays at my grandmother's house. Whenever there is an occasion, we have themed parties. For instance, for Christmas, we either wear red or green. Once, we wore all white. Another time, each family had to wear a certain color. Last Christmas, my aunt was just diagnosed with breast cancer. Since she was going to go through chemo, which meant losing her hair, our theme was wigs and funny hats. Since my sister, Ara, and I weren't able to find hats, we improvised by using Christmas ribbons and ornaments. Think Winona Ryder's hats in Autumn in New York.
We throw surprise parties for each other, my grandparents always mostly being the recipient, whether it's a birthday or the announcement of the arrival of another apo. On long weekends and holidays, we sleepover at my grandmother's place. My grandmother is so accomodating that even family friends sleep over! Once, there was a total of, more or less, 40 people staying at her place. Sometimes, the entire family would go to Subic and stay over at my uncle's place. The kids would have games versus the adults. We'd play Hide and Seek at night, Monkey in the Middle aka Dodgeball and Agawan base. We do a lot of things together.
One of my favorite holidays is Halloween because my entire family dresses up. For instance, during Halloween '97, at the last minute, the entire family decided to go as cavemen, patterned after The Flintstones. Immediately, we had outfits sewn in Camuning (and we got the outfits at 2PM of Halloween, fresh from the market so it smelled like fish! The stench went well with our costumes!) We strung styrofoam balls to make them into pearl necklaces like that of Wilma and Betty of Flintstones. My uncle and aunt, who own a handicrafts factory, had paper mache-d clubs made. My dad even went trick or treating barefoot. People just adored our costumes and we got extra candy because of that. While we wore our Flintstones get up, another uncle and aunt, who planned their costumes way in advance, came as the Addams Family. My uncle, who is tall and thin, came as Lurch, the butler. My aunt wore a Morticia- like wig. Their kids, my cousins, who wore specially- made outfits, came as Pugsley, Wednesday and Pubert, respectively.
The following Halloween, we went as Prisoners of Alcatraz. Not those prisoners wearing bright orange jumpsuits, but the type you see in 1920s gangster movies. The white and black striped prisoner uniform. We got special mention for that in the village's Halloween costume contest.
The next Halloweens following those were a blur. There was that Halloween where we all dressed in black and put on heavy goulish make up (Here's a tip: You know those facial masks that you peel off? First, put on green foundation then the facial mask on your face. When that dries up, peel only certain parts on your face to make it look like your skin is malting. Apply red face paint/ lipstick on the peeled parts to make it seem like it's oozing blood).
There was another one where my aunt lined their garage wall with black cloth, had an artist paint scary scenes (cemetary, dark scary roads, haunted house on top of a hill, bright round moon, etc) on it using neon paint. By using a black flourescent light, the picture glowed! People had their pictures taken at their garage.
There was another Halloween where we hung a swing on our Acacia tree, had our house boy wear a black cloth and a witch's mask and sit on a swing with a broomstick so he would look like a witch. We placed a turbo fan under him to make it seem like he was flying. People had their pictures taken with him. Some of them didn't know that he was a real person and not just a decor and so when he moved, they screamed and ran!
Oh, how I wish I had pictures to show you how great Halloween is. Unfortunately, I need to find someone who could scan my pictures.
So what's the point of this whole entry? Just this year, I missed another great Halloween. My family, along with the families of two other uncles and aunts, went up to Subic and spent Halloween there. They were not complete but based on the pictures, they had so much fun. At the last minute, my sisters, mom and aunts decided to go as fairies! Check out their pictures below:
And may I add this picture of the youngest batch among the cousins. They are just too cute. They went to the beach and played soccer. Obviously, they had such a blast.
See, it's family bondings like these that make me wish, for a split second, that I wasn't in Boracay instead. (Side note: Cami and Ara laughs that they would pick Boracay any time!)
"You're so lucky!"
"Can I work as an assistant for you?"
"You're so lucky!"
"Do you have any openings?"
"Ang swerte mo!"
"I'd work for free!"
"You're so lucky!"
Yes, I am blessed. But people don't know the other side of the coin. Don't get me wrong. I love love love going to Boracay on Holy Week/ Halloween but I cannot help but feel envious when I hear my siblings or relatives talk about how much they had fun together on those holidays.
You see, I have a pretty close knit family. We try to see each other on Sundays at my grandmother's house. Whenever there is an occasion, we have themed parties. For instance, for Christmas, we either wear red or green. Once, we wore all white. Another time, each family had to wear a certain color. Last Christmas, my aunt was just diagnosed with breast cancer. Since she was going to go through chemo, which meant losing her hair, our theme was wigs and funny hats. Since my sister, Ara, and I weren't able to find hats, we improvised by using Christmas ribbons and ornaments. Think Winona Ryder's hats in Autumn in New York.
We throw surprise parties for each other, my grandparents always mostly being the recipient, whether it's a birthday or the announcement of the arrival of another apo. On long weekends and holidays, we sleepover at my grandmother's place. My grandmother is so accomodating that even family friends sleep over! Once, there was a total of, more or less, 40 people staying at her place. Sometimes, the entire family would go to Subic and stay over at my uncle's place. The kids would have games versus the adults. We'd play Hide and Seek at night, Monkey in the Middle aka Dodgeball and Agawan base. We do a lot of things together.
One of my favorite holidays is Halloween because my entire family dresses up. For instance, during Halloween '97, at the last minute, the entire family decided to go as cavemen, patterned after The Flintstones. Immediately, we had outfits sewn in Camuning (and we got the outfits at 2PM of Halloween, fresh from the market so it smelled like fish! The stench went well with our costumes!) We strung styrofoam balls to make them into pearl necklaces like that of Wilma and Betty of Flintstones. My uncle and aunt, who own a handicrafts factory, had paper mache-d clubs made. My dad even went trick or treating barefoot. People just adored our costumes and we got extra candy because of that. While we wore our Flintstones get up, another uncle and aunt, who planned their costumes way in advance, came as the Addams Family. My uncle, who is tall and thin, came as Lurch, the butler. My aunt wore a Morticia- like wig. Their kids, my cousins, who wore specially- made outfits, came as Pugsley, Wednesday and Pubert, respectively.
The following Halloween, we went as Prisoners of Alcatraz. Not those prisoners wearing bright orange jumpsuits, but the type you see in 1920s gangster movies. The white and black striped prisoner uniform. We got special mention for that in the village's Halloween costume contest.
The next Halloweens following those were a blur. There was that Halloween where we all dressed in black and put on heavy goulish make up (Here's a tip: You know those facial masks that you peel off? First, put on green foundation then the facial mask on your face. When that dries up, peel only certain parts on your face to make it look like your skin is malting. Apply red face paint/ lipstick on the peeled parts to make it seem like it's oozing blood).
There was another one where my aunt lined their garage wall with black cloth, had an artist paint scary scenes (cemetary, dark scary roads, haunted house on top of a hill, bright round moon, etc) on it using neon paint. By using a black flourescent light, the picture glowed! People had their pictures taken at their garage.
There was another Halloween where we hung a swing on our Acacia tree, had our house boy wear a black cloth and a witch's mask and sit on a swing with a broomstick so he would look like a witch. We placed a turbo fan under him to make it seem like he was flying. People had their pictures taken with him. Some of them didn't know that he was a real person and not just a decor and so when he moved, they screamed and ran!
Oh, how I wish I had pictures to show you how great Halloween is. Unfortunately, I need to find someone who could scan my pictures.
So what's the point of this whole entry? Just this year, I missed another great Halloween. My family, along with the families of two other uncles and aunts, went up to Subic and spent Halloween there. They were not complete but based on the pictures, they had so much fun. At the last minute, my sisters, mom and aunts decided to go as fairies! Check out their pictures below:
With my cousin, Chino, who went as a tribesman.
Some people thought he went as Peter Pan.
And may I add this picture of the youngest batch among the cousins. They are just too cute. They went to the beach and played soccer. Obviously, they had such a blast.
How can you not adore these kids?
See, it's family bondings like these that make me wish, for a split second, that I wasn't in Boracay instead. (Side note: Cami and Ara laughs that they would pick Boracay any time!)
The Boracay Diaries: Round Two
Friday, November 05, 2004
Finally, I found time to update. The days before I left for Boracay for the second time were just so crazy, I didn't have time to say goodbye.
On top of that, my monthly visit arrived and my PMS came in the form of being over emotional.
On the night before I left for Boracay, my stepmom and I had an argument. The topic was a sensitive and very fragile issue that I cried so much and so hard. Thankfully, we were able to resolve things between us and I was only able to pack my suitcase at 4am. I went to bed at 5am. I wonder why I even bothered when I had to be out of the house by 730am.
Day 1: 27 October 2004, Wednesday
This time, only Tito Henry and I went. Our flight was scheduled at 10am, which meant that we had to be at the aiport by 9am. Tito Henry, who hated waiting at the lounge area before boarding, asked his friend from Asian Spirit to get us a boarding pass already. We got to the airport at 9:30 am, his friend was waiting for us at the xray machine area because he was so nervous that we wouldn't make it.
When we got to the island, there was a power blackout which lasted from 7am to 4pm. We couldn't stay in our rooms because of the heat and as much as I wanted to take a nap, I ended up doing just that in the bar, leaning on the bean bags. Unfortunately, my attempt was unsuccessful. Ten minutes into my nap, which felt like a long time actually, I was receiving calls on my mobile so I decided to just work on my laptop.
When the power came back on, I went to my room and took a much needed nap only to be awakened right before dinner because of another black out. I decided to go to the bar and have dinner. After dinner, when the lights went back on, I went back to the room to watch TV. For the first time, I saw an episode of the much raved about soap opera, Marina (People would gasp, "What?! You just saw it now? The story is about to end!). I channel surfed and was finally able to watch an episode of Meet My Folks on ETC. Needless to say, I watched TV from 8PM- 12MN. Most people would say, "You don't go to Boracay to watch TV." But sorry, I never get to watch TV while I'm in Manila so I go to Boracay to watch TV, among other things. At midnight, I went out to the bar for awhile to check the scene. I stayed enough for 2 shots of Tequila and then, I headed back to my room to read a book. I fell asleep by 2am. Boring, eh?
Day 2: 28 October 2004, Thursday
Yikes! I can't remember what I did. Let me try to recall. I know I worked all day, sticking "Available in Manila" stickers on our menu. When night fell, I hung out with people from Globe and Tito Henry and had 7 shots of tequila. By my 7th shot, I got tipsy and I switched to bottles of mineral water. I headed home at around 3am. When I called A, we got into an argument and we spent an hour and a half on my mobile! My phone bill was at its all time high at P4,100.00 because of that long distance call!
Day 3: 29 October 2004, Friday
Tito Henry invited the Viva Hot Babes for lunch at the bar. No, he's not some D.O.M. He actually knows them. I got to meet Gwen Garci, Katya Santos, the new girl JC, Jen Rosendahl and her boyfriend, Jules, who is actually a regular guest in the bar and a friend of Tito Henry. Do you want the low down on them? Well, Gwen Garci seemed snobby. Katya Santos was nice enough to thank me also for the lunch while the rest thanked just Tito Henry. The new girl, JC, did not have the class and finesse that the original members had. In fact, later on that night, when Jen Rosendahl and her boyfriend, Jules, hung out with Tito Henry and I, she said, "Pagpasensyahan mo na si JC ha?" and I tried to find out what she meant by asking why and she said, "Basta pagpasensyahan mo na lang siya." And then I admitted to her that she, JC, did carry herself differently.
Tito Henry's family arrived from Manila. The trip was so sudden and unexpected. In fact, Tito Henry booked them for a flight and luckily, there was space for them, that day! His wife, who is obsessive compulsive, had no choice but to throw all her kids' clothes into a bag. She pulled her daughter out of class and the girl even went to Boracay wearing her PE uniform! It was really a whirlwind trip for them.
That night, I didn't get tipsy at all. When I got home, I called up A and we embarked into round 2 of our argument, a spill over from last night, which, unfortunately, went unresolved. We couldn't argue much because of the poor signal in my room and my phone did not have enough battery charge. Our argument was soooo bad that we were close to cancelling his trip to Boracay. But I knew that if we push through with the cancellation, we'd regret the decision and it would make the rift between us even greater. And so I told him to just follow to Boracay the next day. I went to sleep at 6am.
Day 4: 30 October 2004, Saturday
We started the day by having a late birthday luncheon for Tito Henry. He invited the Viva Hot Babes again, the people from Globe, his family and friends from Manila who were in the island. After lunch, I waited till 4pm for A to arrive. We were both in need of sleep after our bouts for the past two nights that we spent the rest of the afternoon sleeping, only to come out to have dinner and party.
That night, A, Tito Henry and his wife, Mike, who is Maui Taylor's brother, and a distant cousin of mine (Yes, Maui is a distant cousin of mine. Obviously, based on our body structure, we are distant cousins!) and I went to the opening of Ratsky's in Boracay Terraces. It was a tradition that whenever a bar opens in the Island, all the bar owners go to the opening to pay courtesy. The bar was so far and you could only go either by foot or tricycle. We're not really threatened by their presence because we feel that not a lot of people will take that effort to go there. By foot, it was like walking all the way to Talipapa and by trike, the bumpy road was enough to convince anyone to forget going there.
A planned to get drunk so he could sleep well. I drank 7 shots of Tequila again and switched to 3 bottles of mineral water the moment I got tipsy. The moment he got drunk, we moved to the beach and danced on the shore. Looking back, that moment at the beach is now a blur (though the morning after, I remembered everything that happened and was said) but I do know that it was the most fun I had during the second trip to Boracay this month.
Day 5: 31 October 2004, Sunday
A and I woke up late. We had lunch at Jonah's, after which we waited for the clock to strike at 4pm so we could go to mass.
After mass, we went to Jonah's to get a mocha rum (See, Cat, it was so good, I recommended it to him!) and take a quick dip in the freezing water. When we got up, I went to the shower to rinse off the salt water. Suddenly, famous models, Borgy Manotoc and Brent Javier come in and leave AMP (Addict Mobile Prepaid) merchandise, such as sun visors and frisbees, on the tables of our bar, which is Gentxt territory! That pissed me off because Smart/ Addict Mobile were resorting to dirty tactics (again!) to merchandise. (Side note: No offense to Smart users/ Addict mobile subscribers. Do you wanna know the other dirty tactics that Smart/ Addict Mobile employed to merchandise? Last Holy Week, Smart had all their paraws parked in front of our bar and had all the sails up so that Globe's merchandising couldn't be seen.
When we got back to Manila, we took a cab to A's house. To our surprise, his family went out, took the car and didn't leave the keys to the house! We ended up staying in his grandma's house and I fell asleep on their couch. Finally, his family arrives and we go out to dinner at Blue Wave and coffee at Starbucks after. A takes me home.
And now, it's back to reality.
On top of that, my monthly visit arrived and my PMS came in the form of being over emotional.
On the night before I left for Boracay, my stepmom and I had an argument. The topic was a sensitive and very fragile issue that I cried so much and so hard. Thankfully, we were able to resolve things between us and I was only able to pack my suitcase at 4am. I went to bed at 5am. I wonder why I even bothered when I had to be out of the house by 730am.
Day 1: 27 October 2004, Wednesday
This time, only Tito Henry and I went. Our flight was scheduled at 10am, which meant that we had to be at the aiport by 9am. Tito Henry, who hated waiting at the lounge area before boarding, asked his friend from Asian Spirit to get us a boarding pass already. We got to the airport at 9:30 am, his friend was waiting for us at the xray machine area because he was so nervous that we wouldn't make it.
When we got to the island, there was a power blackout which lasted from 7am to 4pm. We couldn't stay in our rooms because of the heat and as much as I wanted to take a nap, I ended up doing just that in the bar, leaning on the bean bags. Unfortunately, my attempt was unsuccessful. Ten minutes into my nap, which felt like a long time actually, I was receiving calls on my mobile so I decided to just work on my laptop.
When the power came back on, I went to my room and took a much needed nap only to be awakened right before dinner because of another black out. I decided to go to the bar and have dinner. After dinner, when the lights went back on, I went back to the room to watch TV. For the first time, I saw an episode of the much raved about soap opera, Marina (People would gasp, "What?! You just saw it now? The story is about to end!). I channel surfed and was finally able to watch an episode of Meet My Folks on ETC. Needless to say, I watched TV from 8PM- 12MN. Most people would say, "You don't go to Boracay to watch TV." But sorry, I never get to watch TV while I'm in Manila so I go to Boracay to watch TV, among other things. At midnight, I went out to the bar for awhile to check the scene. I stayed enough for 2 shots of Tequila and then, I headed back to my room to read a book. I fell asleep by 2am. Boring, eh?
Day 2: 28 October 2004, Thursday
Yikes! I can't remember what I did. Let me try to recall. I know I worked all day, sticking "Available in Manila" stickers on our menu. When night fell, I hung out with people from Globe and Tito Henry and had 7 shots of tequila. By my 7th shot, I got tipsy and I switched to bottles of mineral water. I headed home at around 3am. When I called A, we got into an argument and we spent an hour and a half on my mobile! My phone bill was at its all time high at P4,100.00 because of that long distance call!
Day 3: 29 October 2004, Friday
Tito Henry invited the Viva Hot Babes for lunch at the bar. No, he's not some D.O.M. He actually knows them. I got to meet Gwen Garci, Katya Santos, the new girl JC, Jen Rosendahl and her boyfriend, Jules, who is actually a regular guest in the bar and a friend of Tito Henry. Do you want the low down on them? Well, Gwen Garci seemed snobby. Katya Santos was nice enough to thank me also for the lunch while the rest thanked just Tito Henry. The new girl, JC, did not have the class and finesse that the original members had. In fact, later on that night, when Jen Rosendahl and her boyfriend, Jules, hung out with Tito Henry and I, she said, "Pagpasensyahan mo na si JC ha?" and I tried to find out what she meant by asking why and she said, "Basta pagpasensyahan mo na lang siya." And then I admitted to her that she, JC, did carry herself differently.
Tito Henry's family arrived from Manila. The trip was so sudden and unexpected. In fact, Tito Henry booked them for a flight and luckily, there was space for them, that day! His wife, who is obsessive compulsive, had no choice but to throw all her kids' clothes into a bag. She pulled her daughter out of class and the girl even went to Boracay wearing her PE uniform! It was really a whirlwind trip for them.
That night, I didn't get tipsy at all. When I got home, I called up A and we embarked into round 2 of our argument, a spill over from last night, which, unfortunately, went unresolved. We couldn't argue much because of the poor signal in my room and my phone did not have enough battery charge. Our argument was soooo bad that we were close to cancelling his trip to Boracay. But I knew that if we push through with the cancellation, we'd regret the decision and it would make the rift between us even greater. And so I told him to just follow to Boracay the next day. I went to sleep at 6am.
Day 4: 30 October 2004, Saturday
We started the day by having a late birthday luncheon for Tito Henry. He invited the Viva Hot Babes again, the people from Globe, his family and friends from Manila who were in the island. After lunch, I waited till 4pm for A to arrive. We were both in need of sleep after our bouts for the past two nights that we spent the rest of the afternoon sleeping, only to come out to have dinner and party.
That night, A, Tito Henry and his wife, Mike, who is Maui Taylor's brother, and a distant cousin of mine (Yes, Maui is a distant cousin of mine. Obviously, based on our body structure, we are distant cousins!) and I went to the opening of Ratsky's in Boracay Terraces. It was a tradition that whenever a bar opens in the Island, all the bar owners go to the opening to pay courtesy. The bar was so far and you could only go either by foot or tricycle. We're not really threatened by their presence because we feel that not a lot of people will take that effort to go there. By foot, it was like walking all the way to Talipapa and by trike, the bumpy road was enough to convince anyone to forget going there.
A planned to get drunk so he could sleep well. I drank 7 shots of Tequila again and switched to 3 bottles of mineral water the moment I got tipsy. The moment he got drunk, we moved to the beach and danced on the shore. Looking back, that moment at the beach is now a blur (though the morning after, I remembered everything that happened and was said) but I do know that it was the most fun I had during the second trip to Boracay this month.
A and I wasted and trashed
Day 5: 31 October 2004, Sunday
A and I woke up late. We had lunch at Jonah's, after which we waited for the clock to strike at 4pm so we could go to mass.
Waiting for 4PM mass
After mass, we went to Jonah's to get a mocha rum (See, Cat, it was so good, I recommended it to him!) and take a quick dip in the freezing water. When we got up, I went to the shower to rinse off the salt water. Suddenly, famous models, Borgy Manotoc and Brent Javier come in and leave AMP (Addict Mobile Prepaid) merchandise, such as sun visors and frisbees, on the tables of our bar, which is Gentxt territory! That pissed me off because Smart/ Addict Mobile were resorting to dirty tactics (again!) to merchandise. (Side note: No offense to Smart users/ Addict mobile subscribers. Do you wanna know the other dirty tactics that Smart/ Addict Mobile employed to merchandise? Last Holy Week, Smart had all their paraws parked in front of our bar and had all the sails up so that Globe's merchandising couldn't be seen.
Smart Telecom paraws lined up in front of our bar
Tell me that's not a coincidence!
When they had an event in the bar beside us, they raised the volume of the music and faced their speakers to us to overthrow the sounds of the event in our bar. Talk about being rude or bastos! Luckily, we had two separate sound systems in our bar so we reinforced the sound system. Obviously, Smart is sour graping because we chose the Globe account. In the first place, we asked both parties to submit a proposal to us and Smart never passed one!)
Let's go back to regular programming. That day, Tito Henry decided to cut short his business trip and take his family to his hometown, Bacolod, because his kids have never been there. So it was just A and I. We thought it would be a boring night but the night turned out to be unexpected after all.
Let's go back to regular programming. That day, Tito Henry decided to cut short his business trip and take his family to his hometown, Bacolod, because his kids have never been there. So it was just A and I. We thought it would be a boring night but the night turned out to be unexpected after all.
A and I hanging out, watching the band
We ended up hanging out and barhopping with Jen Rosendahl, Jules, the boyfriend, and Mike, Maui's brother. How did we end up together? Mike joined A and I. Just when Mike began talking about his girl troubles, Jules and Jen arrived and were eventually drawn into the conversation.
Somewhere in between topics, I got to know Jen a little. I thought she was the snobby type of girl who didn't talk to anyone at all. Jen confides that she doesn't understand why the other girls (the hot babes, particularly, Gwen) had to be so dressed up when she's in the beach. The girl in question was found wearing a mini- dress, full make up, such as shimmer, mascara, blush, spray netted hair and-- high heels! Jen asked her why was she so dressed up when she's in Boracay for vacation and she answered, "To meet boys!" Well, I don't think she needed to be so dressed up to meet boys. Being a Hot Babe was enough to draw guys to herself! Jen also talked about how much she wanted to eat but people, like her mother and friends, would tell her that she was getting fat. I was surprised because she wasn't fat at all! She was so sexy. Needless to say, that didn't stop her from eating what she wanted and every night, she satisfied her craving for Cocomangas Pizza. Speaking of body size, imagine my surprise when Jen looked at me, pouted and said, "Ang sexy mo!" because I'm thin. I didn't know how to react so I just smiled. I was flattered yet caught off guard because one wouldn't expect to hear that comment from someone who is known for her curvaceous body. I wanted to tell her, "Hey, you're the hot babe, not me!"
After a couple of hours later, a bottle of Tequila and bottles of beer, we went to check out the Cream party. Unlike other Cream parties, this one had no entrance fee. But still, I expected the place to be packed. While it wasn't jampacked, it was packed enough to have room to move and dance. Jen reunited with Gwen and Katya while A and I talked to people we knew. We were there for 30 minutes. Jen suggested that we check out Summerplace. The place was packed. Women were dancing on tables, choreographed moves actually. Our group stayed at the entrance and Jen and I danced with our respective boyfriends, leaving Mike to scan the crowd looking for the girl who broke his heart. We stayed for 5 minutes when we decided to go to Cocomangas.
Somewhere in between topics, I got to know Jen a little. I thought she was the snobby type of girl who didn't talk to anyone at all. Jen confides that she doesn't understand why the other girls (the hot babes, particularly, Gwen) had to be so dressed up when she's in the beach. The girl in question was found wearing a mini- dress, full make up, such as shimmer, mascara, blush, spray netted hair and-- high heels! Jen asked her why was she so dressed up when she's in Boracay for vacation and she answered, "To meet boys!" Well, I don't think she needed to be so dressed up to meet boys. Being a Hot Babe was enough to draw guys to herself! Jen also talked about how much she wanted to eat but people, like her mother and friends, would tell her that she was getting fat. I was surprised because she wasn't fat at all! She was so sexy. Needless to say, that didn't stop her from eating what she wanted and every night, she satisfied her craving for Cocomangas Pizza. Speaking of body size, imagine my surprise when Jen looked at me, pouted and said, "Ang sexy mo!" because I'm thin. I didn't know how to react so I just smiled. I was flattered yet caught off guard because one wouldn't expect to hear that comment from someone who is known for her curvaceous body. I wanted to tell her, "Hey, you're the hot babe, not me!"
After a couple of hours later, a bottle of Tequila and bottles of beer, we went to check out the Cream party. Unlike other Cream parties, this one had no entrance fee. But still, I expected the place to be packed. While it wasn't jampacked, it was packed enough to have room to move and dance. Jen reunited with Gwen and Katya while A and I talked to people we knew. We were there for 30 minutes. Jen suggested that we check out Summerplace. The place was packed. Women were dancing on tables, choreographed moves actually. Our group stayed at the entrance and Jen and I danced with our respective boyfriends, leaving Mike to scan the crowd looking for the girl who broke his heart. We stayed for 5 minutes when we decided to go to Cocomangas.
A, me, Jen, Jules, Mike and Maui
When we got to Cocomangas (beachfront side), we all ordered an Illusion. Apparently, one of our new house drinks was patterned after the Illusion. Mike and our head bartender, Froilan, changed some of the alcohol in the mixture that they didn't like and that's why our version is sweeter. Maui joined us at Cocomangas when we decided to order a pizza. Unfortunately, the kitchen was closed already. Maui tried to make lambing with the waitress by hugging her and asked her to open the kitchen so we could order a house special. But they wouldn't budge. I told Maui that she was hugging the wrong person and she should be hugging the cook instead. Immediately, she ran looking for the cook and hugging him. The cook was all smiles and even giddy but he wouldn't budge so he gave her a San Mig Light instead! Amidst all this chaos, Jen went to the other Cocomangas, the one at the back, and got her pizza there. And that was our night cap.
Day 6: 01 November 2004, Monday
A and I had lunch and dessert at Cafe Breizh. He had a Seafood Crepe while I had a Chicken Breast with Basil Crepe and for dessert we shared a Peach crepe topped with Vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. After lunch, we went swimming so I could get a tan. I gave him a foot scrub using Boracay's white sand and laughed whenever he tried not cringe or pull his foot away because the foot scrub was tickling him. We chased each other and I'd scream and giggle whenever he swam after me (how very romantic Baywatch scene!). We eventually got up and A took advantage of the sunset by taking artsy pictures of me, complete with art direction.
Day 6: 01 November 2004, Monday
A and I had lunch and dessert at Cafe Breizh. He had a Seafood Crepe while I had a Chicken Breast with Basil Crepe and for dessert we shared a Peach crepe topped with Vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. After lunch, we went swimming so I could get a tan. I gave him a foot scrub using Boracay's white sand and laughed whenever he tried not cringe or pull his foot away because the foot scrub was tickling him. We chased each other and I'd scream and giggle whenever he swam after me (how very romantic Baywatch scene!). We eventually got up and A took advantage of the sunset by taking artsy pictures of me, complete with art direction.
Photos of his favorite subject, moi, during sunset taken by A
When it was dark, A and I went to the room and while watching TV, we fell asleep. We got up to have dinner. I had barbecue, the local ones being sold in the stands on the beach, with rice. A and I just hung out while watching the bands performed. So many local stars, who arrived that day, avoiding the Halloween weekend crowd, hung out at the bar. There was KC Montero, Rachel Alejandro, Jackie Foster, Bamboo, Ira Cruz and Epy Quizon, who I introduced myself to because he is an investor in our new branch. A and I left the party to check out Hey Jude's event, where A's officemate who sidelines as a DJ, was spinning. I was surprised that there were only about 15 people at the party and I felt bad when I learned that it was Hey Jude's 4th anniversary. So much for an anniversary when there's hardly any people! A and I decided to go back to our bar where I danced to my heart's content with A.
At around 2am, A wanted to go back to the party at Hey Jude! I was too lazy and tired so I told him that he could go by himself. He came back less than 30 minutes later and P90 poorer from the trike ride to and from Hey Jude!
Day 7: 02 November 2004, Tuesday
A and I got up at 10am and went to Talipapa to buy pasalubongs for his officemates. We went back to Jonah's to have lunch, then our room to pack up and by 1:30 PM, we were on the boat on the way back to Caticlan jetty port. A and I were so quiet. He had his arm around me and we held hands as we enjoyed the breeze. I didn't want to leave yet and go back to reality.
At around 2am, A wanted to go back to the party at Hey Jude! I was too lazy and tired so I told him that he could go by himself. He came back less than 30 minutes later and P90 poorer from the trike ride to and from Hey Jude!
Day 7: 02 November 2004, Tuesday
A and I got up at 10am and went to Talipapa to buy pasalubongs for his officemates. We went back to Jonah's to have lunch, then our room to pack up and by 1:30 PM, we were on the boat on the way back to Caticlan jetty port. A and I were so quiet. He had his arm around me and we held hands as we enjoyed the breeze. I didn't want to leave yet and go back to reality.
When we got back to Manila, we took a cab to A's house. To our surprise, his family went out, took the car and didn't leave the keys to the house! We ended up staying in his grandma's house and I fell asleep on their couch. Finally, his family arrives and we go out to dinner at Blue Wave and coffee at Starbucks after. A takes me home.
And now, it's back to reality.
Till we meet again, Boracay!
