My Crazy December

Whew.. December passed by so swiftly. There's only a few days left and I am still catching my breath with how crazy the month of December is. I haven't blogged much. 16th was my last official working day in the office as I took my vacation early. All along I thought the last two weeks of the month will be a breeze, I was wrong.

The first two weeks of December was quite hectic for me work-wise and also in meeting deadlines for my course at SIMI which were due mid of the Dec. At the same time, our Regional Director was in town mid of the month. Of course, there were some preparations I needed to do. Glad things went really fine. Then came our Christmas Party which is worth another blog entry (only if I have time!). There were departmental meetings and workshops I also had to attend or facilitate and work dinners etc... In fact, I went home consistently late (earliest 11pm) during my last 5 working days!

Then came the vacation which in fact is not yet one. I was extemely busy with my last minute christmas shopping. I crammed again! And oh boy, I was shocked to have listed 75 on my gift list. Hmm.. so imagine the countless mall trips and gift wrapping days!

Today is yet another busy day. Che and I decided to repaint our room and the last 12 hours were spent removing the wall paper. Don't even attempt to visualize how messy our room is. It is just unbelievable. It is like 'moving-out day' again for us. I hope things will be in order before we welcome the new year.

I also had my hair rebonded last Monday at Tony and Jackey in Makati. It was my 4th time and 1st here in the country. However, I was disappointed. It didn't had an effect on me. What a waste of time and money!

One week more before we resume back to work and I am looking forward to a lot of things: Christmas Party with friends tomorrow, New Year's Eve celebration with my folks, Mom's bday on Jan1 which we intend to celebrate outside home for the first time, reunion with our relatives on the 3rd (which we normally celebrate on Mom's bday), and 2 weedings to attend on Jan 3 (morning and afternoon) and who knows there could even be spur of the moment out of town trip.

There's even a lot of things I have planned to do like go to the dentist to exhaust the dental benefit I have for this year and schedule my Executive Check-up. Health is a priority and I hope iIcan squeeze in all I needed to do before work bug hits me again.

Happy Holidays! Enjoy the long vacation with your family!

Random Thoughts

The long weekend got me thinking....

...The only thing constant is change. In the corporate world, people do come and go. Not so long ago, you are a neophyte. Now, you become a senior of the bunch.

...Why is it that when you have finally embraced stability, it makes you think 'so what's next?'

...Whenever I see Sean and Sophia play together and laugh at each other, it makes me feel how lucky we are to have twins. And especially since we have a girl and a boy which is a rarity (except in Hollywood these days), it makes me feel I have already won the lottery :)

...Whenever I see S&S giggle and make funny faces, it makes me think 'Why didn't I had baby sooner' or 'I want more babies!'. Hahaha..

...Why is it that we are concerned about what other people think about us when in fact we will not change for them. What we want is to be real.

...With the financial meltdown, the only thing certain is uncertainty. We have to hold on to our seats and avoid being a spender as we might be off to a bumpy ride in 2009. I often forget this so I admit I have to remind myself this once in a while :)

...Why is it that our wish list never seems to end? When we have finally achieved or have gotten what we want, there is always something else to add on the list. I guess being consistently contented is an impossibility.

...Sometimes when luck strikes you, it can be over the top. Take Pacquiao's case for instance, isn't he one lucky guy?! I wonder how he spends his millions or billion of pesos. I hope he saves enough for his kids.

...In the corporate world, you have to keep going - keep up with the pace. Otherwise, your career might end up being stagnant. Career is like a pc's storage capacity. You have to upgrade yourself continuously, otherwise you become obsolete.

1st Haircut

We went to Cuts 4 Tots at Trinoma last Nov 9 for Sean and Sophia's 1st haircut. Syempre smilestones ito, so it has to be captured in camera and blogged about.

Here are the before and after pictures. They are so likot so wasn't able to capture it well.

Before



After


Sean definitely looked better without the flying hair (he's hair is curly kasi esp on the sides). Huhu, my son is really a toddler na!

Before


After


Naging boyish look si Sophia! :) Well, there's nothing much to cut anyways. Hehe...

Anyways, Christmas is around the corner. It's actually very chilly already in Copenhagen. It was already 5C last week. In fact, last Thursday, it snowed for the first time this year. I was having breakfast in our office when I saw it was raining snow. Cute :)

Here's a pic of myself with Sean and Sophia at Landmark in Trinoma before their trip to the kiddie salon :)

Bed of LoVe

If your bed is full of roses, it's sweet....
If your bed is full of LVs, it's called LoVe....
Hahahaha!



Well, before you even think I am insane, that's not all mine. Pabili lang most of them. But this lady gotta have something too ;)

Back to the 80's

In a month's time we will have our company Christmas Party. This event is usually fun with people really prepping up and coming in there 'theme inspired' outfit. Expect also several nights of preparation for the department dance competition.

Last year, the party was held at Jumbo Restaurant with Casino Royale as the theme (if I remember correctly). I was still on maternity leave then so I just visited. I came in my jeans with a glittery top and everyone else were beautiful in their evening dress.

This year, our party will be held at the Hyatt Hotel & Casino. The theme will be 80's! Ayayaya! :) There will be a chorale competition this time (ala 'Sister Act' daw). I am betting that my department will win! (Hahaha!)

I'm sure it's gonna be fun - as always. I can imagine the overflowing booze, dancing and singing all night and staff getting drunk and crazy (I'm always sober during these type of social events, pathetic?!) :)

Hmm... it's time to think what to wear!

After the Party

Sean and Sophia had their 1st bday party last Sunday (Nov2). Their real bday was last Nov 1. It was a success! Many guests came and there were more than 50 kids who celebrated with us. I prepared 60 lootbags and only 3 were left. Many guests said their kids had a blast! I'll post pictures later because I still need to sort them.

Nataranta ako, ang daming gifts! I said nga talbog pa ata ang wedding namin :) While of course, most guests gave 2 gifts each for Sean and Sophia, it's still a lot! As in several dozens of clothes and overflowing toys! Imagine, we got 6 'ride and walk' (that's the rider you can also convert into a walker). So everyday bago rider nila?! Hahaha.. Clothes were also overflowing.

But truly, I thank the friends and relatives who came despite the weekend being a holiday. Even days after the party (until now!), we are still receiving gifts for those who weren't able to come. I'll definitely show these pictures to my twins when they grow up to make them realize how lucky and blessed they are. Surely, I will teach them also the value of sharing especially to those who are less fortunate...

Check this for the pictures... http://melissa23.multiply.com/photos/album/8/1st_Birthday_Gifts#

My problem now is the storage to keep all the stuff - and take note adding to the list are the Christmas presents. :)

Moving to new office

It's been 4 months since we moved to our new office (so long overdue na tong post na ito haha!). From working on 51st floor in the tallest building here in the Philippines, we moved to an office building right next to the biggest mall in the country.

Here's the pictures we took on our last day in the old office...

Yes, my desk is unusually clean because I have packed all my stuff except for the laptop, phone, printer and an orange :)

Here's with a good friend/colleague Rowie in our conference room

Here's my new office. The room is a bit smaller in size and the view is not so great but it surely is good enough for me (at least, I am nearer my department and not in isolation hehe)

My old office has a stunning view of the metro that I probably won't be able to experience again but moving to our new office now has a lot of advantages. I can now leave past 7:30am and still be able to make it at 8:30am in the office (no Makati traffic jam!). There are tons of restaurants to choose from for lunch! I think there are more than 100+ restaurants and we've tried the following (I lost count I think and there's still a lot more to try):

Almon Marina (so far my favorite!)

Bacolod Chicken

Cafe Mediterranean

Chowking

David's Tea House

Healthy Shabu Shabu

Kalye Juan

Kenny Rogers

KFC

Mandarin Wok

Mann Hann

Mexicali (another favorite!)

Oki-Oki

Mongkok

Rack's

Sakae Sushi

Sbarro

Stars N Stripes

Superbowl

Tanabe

Teriyaki Boy

Wendy's

Lunch is definitely more expensive! No more P100/lunch budget! :) But having lunch is definitely not stressful now compared to Makati where there's traffic in the lift and waiting queue in restaurants. We can dine in at decent restaurants here without having to kill time waiting to be seated.

And most importantly, I can do my shopping everyday if I need to (lunch time or after office). I'm loving it! :)

A Meaningful Christmas

We've been very blessed over the last couple of years so I had this idea proposed to Che in the past on how we can share our blessings and make Christmas or our Birthdays more meaningful. Unfortunately, I didn't push thru with it. This coming Christmas, I want to make it truly meaningful by pursuing this plan of mine. I hope in God's grace we can make it happen...

An Inspirational Mail

I mentioned in my previous blog that I was teary eyed reading a story of a 30 yr old mom who was diagnosed of Breast Cancer. More of it here... http://eventseventstm.blogspot.com/

I was more touched when I received this email this morning...

/quote/

Hi Melissa!

This is Tessa, I'm a a member of N@W (but a lurker) and I happen to click the link of your blog in one of your messages in n@w.I was surprised to see the link of my brother's blog - you were able to read pala his post about his sister who was diagnosed with cancer. Well, that sister is me. I'm lucky to have a very supportive family, and friends who stood by me all throughout my journey to recovery. By God's grace I was able to finish my treatment and so far I'm doing very well.

Thank you for reading my brother's post, I know I have touched a lot of people with my experience, and it's my turn to pay it forward. I was able to talk to other cancer patients and their families during my check-ups with my docs, and it feels good to comfort them during this time of their lives - it's part of my healing. I was in their shoes once and I know how they feel. One thing I can assure them is that their lives will never be the same after cancer - it will be more meaningful and you will cherish every day and spend it more with your loved ones.

/unquote/

It was a truly inspring story for me. I may not know her personally but I do admire her for her strength - that strength that does not just come from within but also rooted from family and friends who stood by her in times of trial.

It's amazing how internet can help you draw inspiration from people you haven't actually met.

To Tessa who might read this blog: Congratulations on your recovery and may you continue to inspire others.

On Fairytale Weddings and Greatest Fears

I mentioned in my previous blog that I love organizing parties. I LOVE weddings too! In fact, I think I am a sucker for stunning weddings! Stunning for me may not necessarily be lavish but something that is tasteful with well thought of and meticulous details consistent to the wedding theme. I think I have mentioned here in my blog a photographer couple who were our 2nd choice for our wedding. I deeply regret not getting them. Anyways, saw their blog once again and found out that they had a lovely wedding recently at Discovery Shores in Boracay. Link here.. http://www.mimiandkarl.com/?p=1453#more-1453

I still love looking at wedding pictures and I am still excited when I hear of someone getting married. I don't believe in zodiac sign really but one thing I remember that may probably be true to me (I am a Pisces) is my being 'hopeless romantic'. Geez, I am shy to admit it but yes I think it is true.

Another blog that I do check when I have time is the one who made my wedding gown. Check it out here... http://veluzreyes.blogspot.com/

It is just so lovely seeing the brides so radiant and sexy. I must admit, if I have the chance, I'd like to be a bride once again and put on a wedding gown. Haha. Dream on.

Ok moving on..

After reading the blog of M+K's wedding, I blog hopped to http://eventseventstm.blogspot.com/ . It is the blog of a wedding organizer.

I was teary eyed reading his last post. To cut it short, his 30-year old sister was diagnosed of having 2B breast cancer. She is still very young with a 2-yr old daughter. I immediately got scared. You see, cancer is one of my greatest fears. My aunt died of breast cancer and I've seen her suffered. My grandmother died of ovarian cancer and I was right beside her when she died. I am thus now considering having my executive check-up soon. I have seen some info campaign on breast cancer prevention and here's what I found:

By age 20, women must perform a monthly breast self exam (BSE) about a week after her period. By age 30, besides a BSE, women must have a clinical exam every year. By age 40, besides a BSE and a clinical exam, women must have an annual mammography.

Truly, life can both be lovely and tough. Like what my husband Che said last night, challenges are given to us because God knows that we are surrounded by people who will support and be strong for us no matter what.

Why I love parties

I love attending parties but more so I love organizing one. Yes, it can be stressful but I love the fact that it makes you a little bit more creative than your usual self. It makes you think of crazy things and makes you go gaga over one particular theme. Here's my recent project....

I am glad to have friends and support group who can help me execute the ideas in a cost effective manner too :)

The venue:

The theme:

The balloons:

The celebrant's outfit:

Of course, the proud parents will come in theme-inspired attire too :)

In lieu of party hats:

The host/entertainment:

The cake:

The goodies:

I am officially back to being a child (at heart!). But take note, I have friends who are more OC than me when it comes to party planning. Right, Anne? ;)

Luxury of Time

I hope I have the luxury of time to blog. I like reading blogs and writing too but I don't think I can keep up with it. I know a few who earn while blogging. Isn't it cool? I envy them for doing things they like at the same time earning some bucks for shopping online! :0

Anyway, I have random things in my mind right now - work, school related and family life. I hope I had the time to blog all about it but I promised myself to spend 10 minutes max to write this. Haha, I am not making sense at all here..

For a start, I am very excited for Sean and Sophia's birthday party in less than 3 weeks time! Here's the invite made by my sis in law. It's cool!

I haven't blog about this course I am attending at SIMI but it's been an amazing experience so far! It's very tiring and time consuming but it really is a good learning experience. The professors are really good! One is an American - a Harvard alumni and is a professor at Harvard Business School. The other one is French and is a professor at INSEAD in France. The average age of the class is 38, if i remember correctly, so you can only imagine I may be one of the youngest if not the youngest. I have classmates from different companies, from different locations and from different industries so it adds to the learning experience too.

Oh, I also didn't mention that my family went for a 4-day trip to Hong Kong last month! It was a sweet treat from my parents- in- law and it was a blast! Hong Kong has a special place in my heart since I have lived there for 2 years. But since I have been a way for years now (plus the fact that we stayed at Kowloon side and I have lived in Hong Kong side before), I really felt I was a tourist! We enjoyed Disneyland!!! Shopping was ok, not that great as I have expected. I was rather disappointed but got myself some must haves from Mac (something to at least upgrade my make up kit!)

Here's the group picture at Avenue of the Stars at Tsim Sha Tsui Harbour. I still Love Love Love Hong Kong! Gotta need to come back!

I did it! (In my last trip to Copenhagen last month... )


I think I am getting addicted and want another one! I should stop! Remember Melissa, you have kids, their needs first before yours. Haha!








Below are some pictures of my travel from August. I don't have time yet to upload. Hopefully I will have the patience next time including some travel stories too (before I forget them!)

Below pic in Brugges city center... I adore Brugge! It is really worth visiting! Belgium is really a nice city to go to! I actually did not expected it to be that good, but it really exceeded my expectations. We went to Brussels, Antwerp and Brugge - all of them are must places to visit!



Brugge is like a theme park where the buildings and the sights are so alike. Take note though, we noticed the tourist visiting Belgium are generally from higher age bracket, usually retired Americans or Europeans hehe. Food is also expensive. We spent EUR (Php 1500-1800) on average for a meal!











Below at Brussels. We were lucky to see this flower carpet at the center. Gosh, I forgot all the names of the places. I am bad at remembering those. It's in my tourist guide book though. Haha.

And when you go to Belgium, you'll definitely expect to see chocolate shops in every corner! Of course there are thse known brands like Godiva and Leonida's but I was introduced to this local brand which is equally good. It's called Cote'd'Ore (hopefully I got the spelling right!).

Below is a shot I took in my trip to Copenhagen early this month. It's also the city center just right at the corner of the shopping strip.







Here's a gay parade we bumped into in my August visit in Copenhagen.





Amsterdam is also a nice place! It's an open city so you expect to see a lot of young tourists who go there to have some F-U-N! I find it so vibrant and I love the city life! We got a hop on hop off canal tour which was a nice way to tour around the city!



That's all folks. I hope I can put more 'meat' in my blog next time. But life, so far, has been all good. In fact, it still is blissful!

Homesick

I am currently in Bangkok and I must say I am feeling homesick. I arrived last Sunday for a 5-day leadership training and the week passed by so quickly. I am now in my room at Sofitel Silom feeling bored and waiting for a few hours before my flight to Copenhagen (1am!).

Probably the fact that I'll be leaving for somewhere far from Manila (with a 6-hour time difference), made me feel homesick. I really miss hugging Sean and touching his super soft skin (yes, asset nya yun!). I miss Sophia chasing after me. Every night, she just want to be exclusively with me! She will cry if she will be carried by someone else or when she's awakened at night without me at her side!

These were taken end of August..

These were taken just last Sunday. We had mass and lunch at Philippine Columbian then headed straight to the airport..

Another cute pose from Sophia.. :)

Good Times

There's a lot of things to blog about which unfortunately I do not have the time to do but hopefully I will be able to catch up even in bits and pieces.

But hey, here's really one blog-worthy! Hahaha...

Pardon the vanity and the obscene pictures you are about to see...

Last night, I was deleting some old files in my laptop when I saw this folder named 'xda'. It contains all the files and pictures I had with my xda some 2-3 years back. So here's the treasure I found...

Yes, I consider them my treasure because those were the good times! Good times when I was still maybe 15-20lbs lighter and look a lot younger. Seems like 5+ years ago when it was only taken around end 2005 prior our wedding.

So what now?? Ayokong maging matrona! Gash...

Point and shoot

Sophia has this talent of smiling at the camera when you start pointing that little gadget on her. Since she still has a bunch of clothes she hasn't worn yet, I thought of just prepping her up for the camera. Her patience lasts for only 3 wardrobe change. But all these shots were taken the first time (no retakes!)

Next time, it's Sean's turn. He's a little bit shy on the camera though. He doesn't have that many clothes as Sophia (with all the hand me downs from her cousin) but I'm sure is building some wardrobe for him with my recent purchases (cute stuff at Terranova, H&M and some stalls in bkk!)

I blog a lot about my kids, I'm really a certified mama... hahahaha.

Missing the cute bunch

I'm currently in Belgium and so far visited Brussels and Antwerp. Tomorrow, we are off to Brugges. While I am enjoying these amazing places, I can't help but think of Sean and Sophia. I am missing Che too, of course. :)

Who wouldn't miss this cute smile...


and the cute poses...


I seriously want to hug them real tight. Right here, right now!

1st Mc Donald's Party

Last August 3, we attended a party at Mc Donald's. It's Sean and Sophia's first time to see a mascot. After the party, we (including my in laws) went to Rockwell for dinner.

Sean and Sophia are really growing up so fast! Huhuhu, I miss them badly now....

Ayaw ng picture ni Sean. Look at what we did sa hair ni Sophia! hihihi...