Rica's 5th Birthday

Rica is my goddaughter. I attended her first birthday party but apparently, I've been too busy and skipped the next 3. This year, I was able to attend again and I brought B, FM, and kids.

The theme of the party was Dora the Explorer and even the host wore a Dora outfit. Our gift was also something Dora. Teehee.

Anyway, when we got there, I felt the excitement meant only for kids because the place was so colorful. Best part of it was actually a ferris wheel cupcake holder. I definitely want one of these.

As with any normal birthday parties, there were a lot of games and fun fare.

We all had fun at Rica's 5th birthday party. B had a lot of Angry Bird  goodies as well as Spiderman items and we, the adults,  enjoyed the food, the milk tea, cupcakes, and photo booth. :)

Fridate with Karl

FM and I normally go on Fridates. Sometimes, it would be something fancy but more often than not, its just laid back dates. What matters to us on our Fridates is that we are together, catching up since we normally do not see each other Sunday to Thursday.

Yesterday, we had an addition to our Fridate. My brother Karl ended up with us because his usual Fridate did not push through. We ended up at Gateway Mall and had dinner at Cafe Adriatico.

We loved the kare kare and crispy pata. I could have eaten a lot more but the duo mushroom soup that I had was so good paired with the bread that it took up all the space in my stomach.

After dinner, we watched a movie and this was the highlight of the night. You see, FM asked if I had watched in Gateway and upon answering no, he was pretty excited. He said, you will be watching in the 3rd nicest cinema.

For some reason, this did not sink in my head. When I saw the cinema, I actually gave a small screen. It was apparently the Platinum Cinema of Gateway Mall. SO COOL!

This is how our Fridate with Karl went. Great dinner, great cinema, and a great movie. =)

Jay and Jeo ... a meet up

I met them both December of 2011. It was a bloggers meet up that led to Jeo and myself being part of Jay's wedding and now, we're godparents to Jay's baby, Caleb. So when Jay said he was gonna be in the country,  a meet up was inevitable.

Resorts World was the place of choice this time as opposed to Makati last time. Thankfully, no one was late this time. We met at Starbucks which was fitting since Jay got me Riyadh and Saudi Starbucks Citymugs.

While we were there, FM played a trick on the barista. Since my name is Kenny, he named his cup Rogers. LOL.

After hanging out at Starbucks, Jay invited us to eat and we ended at Crisostomo. It was Filipino cuisine since Jay lives in UAE and it is not always that they get to eat Filipino dishes.

I'm glad that FM and my friends got along. They talked, we laughed, and had a great time. It is rare that complete strangers get along so well during the first meeting. It was a fun afternoon and quite relaxing.

When I got home, I opened Jay's gifts to me. I was super happy. Really happy. Thank you so much Jay. I really love your gifts. Please never stop giving me gifts. Hahahahaha.

changes and the need for a laptop that works ....

It feels like I haven't written for the longest time and truth is, I haven't. It seems that I haven't had enough time to spare for me to actually gather my thoughts and this makes me sad.

I am someone who finds writing to be therapeutic and with the many changes that have happened in over a week, I feel the need to actually just sit down in a coffee shop with my favorite cup of coffee and cinnamon swirl, plug on my iPOD, and write on a laptop. Unfortunately, I do not have a laptop.

See, I recently changed careers and from being an employee, I now work in the family business. I've been travelling from the South to the North and back everyday. I've been standing for almost 8 hours a day supervising our production. From mental work, I now do mental and physical work.

To say that it has been a challenge is an understatement.

Don't get me wrong. I'm happy with the decision I made. It's just that sometimes, I feel like I'm not learning anything or enough and I worry that I haven't really contributed much. FM says that its too early since I've only been at work for a week.

To give you a peek at where I work now and what I do, here goes.

Yep, we own a silkscreen printing business and this is where I go everyday, Monday to Friday. Our company is called Sakura Print Masters (for inquiries, please email us at sakuraprintmaster@gmail.com). We accept orders with a minimum of 700 pieces.

What do I do? For now, I overlook operations, come up with design concepts, and handle clients. Well, I try to anyway or I should. I honestly do not know if I'm helping in the past week. So far, my Dad hasn't reprimanded me so I'm hoping that I'm doing okay.

Anyway, thanks for reading my senseless monologue. I just miss writing. I miss it badly.

my first Valentine ....

I was in high school. Our club, the Science Club, sponsored a buy a rose campaign for Valentines Day to raise funds for the group. All our flowers were gone in less than an hour. When I arrived in my classroom, I saw a huge bouquet of roses on my desk. They were white and there were about 3 dozen.

I was pissed.

I thought that they were for delivery and so the first words out of my mouth was "Really? I have to deliver those?" I picked it up and placed it on the empty desk beside me. I didn't pay any more attention to it since I figured I could do the delivery during recess.

My then boyfriend came over during recess and asked if I liked the roses he gave me. I gave him a blank stare. He then pointed out to the huge bouquet that I tossed aside. Apparently, it was for me.

I was such a dufus. Thankfully, the then boyfriend was quite understanding and we spent Valentines in a small fast food place just right outside school. It wasn't grandiose but I did get a rose and free food.

on family bonding and photographs ...

My family and I are not perfect. We fight and we argue. We have moments where we'd ignore each other and think bad thoughts.

We are normal. 

Now, in spite and despite this, we are still a family and we protect each other when need be. I may diss my brothers when I'm upset at them but I will hunt down whoever hurts them. It's the same with other members of my family.

We are also in love with photos and bonding. My Mom likes to capture those moments and it has trickled to one of my little brother, my son, and myself. I believe that bonding is something that every family should do. Dinner, lunch, breakfast, milk tea sessions, or coffee are some of the things that families can do. If they're more adventurous, they can also go on traveling together and doing crazy things like bungee jumping.

Last night, my family and I had dinner at Sambokojin. We went out because our Mom has been staying at our factory more often that at home to help with the business. I figured my little sister needs to spend time with our Mom and dinner out sounded like a good idea. After, I treated them to coffee.

We do this; my family and I. We hang out at home and sometimes, outside. We eat out since we love food and discovering new places. We also love taking photos because my Mom taught us that capturing what we looked like at a certain day helps us remember easier and reminds us of what we looked like at that time.

breakfast at home

CNY 2013 dinner

So go on ... spend time with your family and capture those moments. You may hate them at times, you may dislike them at times, but they are your family. You may hate having your photo taken but when all else is over and done, those photos will definitely mean more and they will matter. One way or another, a photo will always matter.

9WT: They're Playing Our Song

I was lucky enough to have been part of the preview night for They're Playing Our Song by 9 Works Theatrical. I was pretty excited because I saw Nikki Gil in Sweet Charity and she did really well back then. I didn't have much of a clue as to what the show was about because I wanted to learn what the story was about as it happens.

Upon arrival, there was a red carpet and a photo wall. I couldn't resist so I had my photo taken.

Isn't it cute? I love the NEVER HIDE frame. I also loved the musical note insignia that was on display. Too bad, I wasn't able to get a piece of the pie because when we left, it was all gone. 

My friend went to see it with me since FM wasn't able to. We both liked the look of the cupcake but it was a tad bit dry to be honest.

Now about the play ... Sonia Walsk and Vernon Gersh are two people who were perfect for each other but because of Sonia's crazy affinity to her ex-lover, problems rose up in her relationship with Vernon. Will they be able to patch things up and live happily ever after or are they meant to be apart?

With a fantastic revolving set that changes in seconds, witty lines, sarcastic humor, and quirky one liners, They're Playing Our Song is bound to make you laugh and giggle. When you hear the songs Fallin'  and I Still Believe in Love, it will make you fall in love, relive your memories of love gone by, and as the song says, believe in love once again.

Co-presented by The Rockwell Club and The Peninsula Manila, this romantic offbeat comedy musical returns to Manila after more than a decade via one of the country’s leading theatre groups, 9 Works Theatrical. With Nikki Gil as Sonia Walsk and Lorenz Martinez as Vernon Gersh, this intimate romantic comedy musical is truly worth watching.

They're Playing Our Song will run at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza Makati from February 8 to March 3 and is co-presented by The Rockwell Club and The Peninsula Manila, with special participation of SM Accessories, Lynelle's, Mary Grace, BPI Credit Cards, and media partners, MYX, Business World, and HerWord.com.

For tickets, call 9 Works Theatrical at 586-7105, 0917-5545560 or Ticketworld at 891-9999. You may also visit www.9workstheatrical.com or follow 9 Works Theatrical on Facebook (9workstheatrical) or Twitter (@9WT).

They're Playing Our Song is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.

on preppin' for a funeral ...

Yesterday, I had to rush to Makati Medical Hospital because the father of one of the person's dearest to me suddenly passed away. It was very sudden and therefore unforeseen.

When I first saw A, he looked like he was in a state of shock. It was understandable. I told him and his sister to go home and tell their mother about what happened. I told him that I would be the one to process the papers and billing.

It was the start of a long and tiring process.

Apparently, for all the talks of caring for their patients and the people who go to their hospital, Makati Med failed to foresee what happens when a patient dies. Either that or they don't care.

Yesterday, I was sent to Admissions, Laboratory, Billing, and Patient Relations. Since it was a first time for me to actually process papers concerning the death of a relative, I was lost. I asked people around but it seems that aside from the following information, no one really tells you what happens. I tell you, I went around and around because I kept getting sent to different offices.

• pay the bill 
• call a funeral service to get the body within 24 hours because apparently if the body stays for more than 24 hours, it goes to a freezer 

With what happened to me and all the hardship that I went through just to secure billing, a cause of death, and the death certificate, I came to realize that a lot needs to be improved with how the hospital handles situations when a patient dies. I hope that this would be of help to others who might find themselves in a similar situation in the future.

Some few things to remember.

1. 24 hours start when the patient is declared dead. Yes, they don't care that the first few hours would probably be a shock to you and you won't be able to think of a lot of things. 
2. You need to ensure that a funeral homes will be notified because they will not release the body unless it is the funeral homes that will be taking it from the morgue. 
3. The bill needs to be paid in full before they will release the body. 
4. Someone needs to sign the death certificate. Scary thing is, they didn't even ask for my ID when I told them I would just be the one to sign it. 

Now, additional things to remember if the one who died is a senior citizen.

1. You are entitled to a 20% discount on the bill. 
2. The nearest living relative of the person who passed away gets Php2000 from the local government unit. 
3. You are entitled to bereavement benefits from SSS. 

 I hope that in some way this was able to help you and add knowledge. I also hope that hospitals would just do a small checklist for people so that they would know what the next steps are when there is a death in the family.

on surprise dates ...

FM has never been the type to execute surprise dates. He's just not the type and he's not into these kind of things. I've actually stopped hoping that he would do one since its been almost a year that we have been together.

Today, he proved me wrong.

It was a bad day at work for me. Things were not going as planned and there were many challenges that I was facing. To top it, someone said something that I felt was offensive. I felt that my work was being undermined and unappreciated. I left the office in a really foul mood.

When I was walking towards the bus stop, I received a message from FM asking me to call him when I was en route. Since I was in a foul mood, the conversation did not start right. To sum it up, the first 50 minutes of our conversation was just pure bickering and negativity on my part. FM was nice and patient the whole time.

A few minutes before I went down on my stop, we patched things up and I felt much better. While I was walking to my last ride, he asked me to stop walking. I immediately did but wondered why he was asking me to do so. He then told me to get inside his car and that was the only time I learned that he was actually parked at the corner of the street where I'd normally go down.

Eeeekkkkk! Happiness!

Earlier I told him that the only surprise I needed was for him to show up at my house and he said that it wasn't possible. Being the not so nice person that I was at that moment, I replied, "yeah, you'd never do that. You never do that."

Well, I was wrong. And I am very happy to have been wrong.

We had dinner at Hagasawe which is a Japanese place inside our village then we had a full body massage at Bliss Spa. I am in heaven. I am such a lucky gal. Seriously. I have a man who wants nothing but to make me happy.

Again, thank you FM for this wonderful treat. You were right. I will be sleeping with a smile on my face. Thank you. I love you.

How to Come Up with a Blog Topic

For someone who has blogged 2534 posts, there comes a point where you go, what else can I write about? I normally write about my family, my funny man, B, and what have you but sometimes, I want to write for my readers and share things with you guys that I hope may be helpful.

Today, I tweeted my followers and asked for a suggestion on what I can write about. One of them replied with "how to come up with a blog topic?" Haha! It actually made me laugh because he was right. Since I go through this problem at times and have come up with solutions, I could write about it and help other bloggers who are going through the same writers block or in this case, bloggers block.

So, these are the things that I do when I get a bloggers block and want to write but can't find anything to write about. I hope this helps you as much as it helped me.

• listen to music ... sometimes a lyric or line is more than enough to trigger inspiration 
• go to Pinterest and look at images and words to trigger inspiration 
• read magazine articles 
• join a meme or participate in one 
• when all else fails, ask for suggestions 

So there. I hope this was of some help. If not, at least I tried.

image from here

Party Weekend

The weekend was filled with parties B was invited to. There was a dinner party at Gloria Maris for B's crush and a swimming party for the niece of FM where B was also invited.

I feel happy that in one way or another, B gets to socialize and that in every event, he has friends and he's able to make friends. I feel happy that he doesn't find it hard to make friends nor integrate himself with new people.

B is an only child and he's never been sociable. My main worry before was that he wouldn't know how to socialize and make friends. I'm glad that I was wrong.

The rest of us were able to make do with the time that we had supervising B and ensuring that he had a good time. I'm glad that I had a great support system and people who love B.

We had a great weekend and I liked that I was able to bond with some of my siblings. Great food, great company, great weekend!

morning sessions ...

Every morning, B and I get to have at least 10 minutes to talk about his day and to just catch up. Sometimes, we just hug and stay silent. Sometimes, we chat about mundane things especially when he has crazy questions to ask. Sometimes, we just have time to hug.

I love these morning sessions with my son. There are times that I get home late and he'd already be sleeping so these few minutes in the morning is our time to catch up. I think that a few minutes here and there matters a lot.

I know it does because B has started to look forward to these few minutes in the morning we have before we head over to our own destinations.