this year

it is almost mid january and i still do not know how to wrap up how my christmas vacation went. i have been travelling most of the time that it was getting difficult to catch up with my own pace. i do need to really slow down. now that i am back here in singapore, i think i can do that for a while.

i welcomed the year with a bit of sadness and excitement as i tried to drown myself with a bottle of wine listening to the stories of my older brothers and sisters. i was trying to be attentive, but the wine tasted better. the priest's homily on the new year eve mass that we attended earlier was still ringing in my ears.... "peace has become something that is elusive". wherever we look, that is the reality right now. even in a smaller scale, that is the reality i am facing.

earlier last december, i was awaiting for this year with much gusto. like something inevitable, something i've been wanting for so long has finally come. then i realize i do not even know what it is that i am waiting for. if it is what i think it is, am i even ready for it? i may have made plans last year, and i think i am even nearing my goals now. however, i can not deny that there's still so much uncertainty ahead and it gets scary if i try to dig deeper.

i do not want to put so much negativity and paranoia in me, as i have had enough of that when the year started.

This year, is gonna be incredible
This year, is gonna be the one
All the planets are lining up for me
This year, I'm gonna have fun

This year, I'll paint my masterpiece
This year, I'll be recognized
I can feel like I'll fall in love for real
This year, this year

January, I'll learn to fly
February, love's gonna find me
March, April, May, I'll get carried away
Oh, oh...

This year, I'll reach the pinnacle
This year, I'll get to the top
People will ask where she get that energy
This year, I'm never gonna stop

January, I'll learn to fly
February, love's gonna find me
March, April, May, I'll get carried away
Oh, oh, oh, oh...

This year, is gonna be incredible
This year, is gonna be the one
All the planets are lining up for me
This year, I'm gonna have fun

I'm gonna have fun
Just watch me now
This year
This year
This year

-"This Year",Chantal Kreviazuk

the next wedding of the year

mats is the second closest girl friend who got married this year. and was her wedding just perfectly lovely! (and so were we, by the way :p)

i think i just loved everything about her wedding. but she has a wedding planner, and they really did a great great job. it was a totally stress-free as someone else had to take care of all things needed. we ended having fun all through out even while we were still doing our makeup in the morning. well, with five photographers loving to take pictures of the bride and her equally willing bridesmaids model-wannabees, who wouldn't enjoy every second of it? :D oo na, mahilig kami magpapicture.. :P

the whole ceremony was very intimate and everything else went smoothly up to the reception. the food was great, i had my first taste of lechon! yey! :D .. okay, so i over ate again at the reception. but i can't help it. i haven't had lechon since i arrived in cebu! :D

the reception program was fun too. except that i didn't get the bouquet! .. but, there's always the next wedding, i'm not in a rush anyways..(nyahahaha... hindi ako bitter :p) .. well, i think i'm just catching a bug that's why i am babbling like this. it has to stop..really.

the rest of the night was filled with lots of dancing as the host hired a great show band for us to party with. the bar was also overflowing with tequila, beer, rum, whiskey and wine. i can't help but to take a few shots.. it's for the newlyweds anyways! :D cheers!

*sigh* .. so mats and jonel finally tied up after six years of being together. seeing both great friends and equally great people being as happy as they are together, what more can i say? :)

the city of smiles

i am off to bacolod now for mats wedding. this is just the first of my few planned trips for this vacation and i am really excited. it's also my first time to be in bacolod, though i know i won't be able to do much tourist things because i am here for the wedding. but then i can always come back :)

our flight got delayed so we end up reaching bacolod just right in time for lunch. the rest of the afternoon was fully scheduled already. we had to settle in to our hotel, go to the chapel for the wedding rehearsal and do some last minute shopping for our accessories. we also managed to squeeze in an appointment at the spa and get us a good body massage.. the best way to relax after such a stressing day.. (as if kami ang ikakasal :p)

and how could i miss, i had to have dinner at max's fried chicken! it's been ages since i had my last max's meal :)

and tomorrow's the big day for my dear friend. there's so many reasons to put on a big smile :)

money and all its worth

on my first day in cebu, i have to go directly to business. and that means shopping :D

first stop was to get breakfast. red ribbon spaghetti - yummy! i am missing so much local food that i should try at least one of the things i have missed every day during this vacation. :) oh, and the list was not hard to fill for all i could think about was ... i wanna eat this, i wanna eat that :D but i should be worried for noche buena is still days away!

the only thing that i could get my mind off from food is ofcourse, shopping! i so miss the local brands. seeing bayo, kamiseta, maldita, and so much more local brands brewing up in the market is indeed feast for my fashion-loving self. it's such a refresher to finally see a wider variety of great clothes with equally great value :)

so i gave in to my vanity and shopped till i dropped. there goes my money and all its worth. i'll worry about my credit card bills later.. after christmas :D

holiday rush

panick packing. that's how it has always been each time i travel. i took off early from work since there's not much i can really do about my tasks anyways. all i could think about is my upcoming two-week vacation, and all its jazz.

i dropped by the mall to buy some chocolates and troubled myself on how to fit them into my already full baggage. i slept until 5 am that morning just to put all the things that i should bring home together. i guess this is the difference with travelling during the holiday season. there's the christmas gifts you have to bring other than the usual "pasalubong".

after i tried terribly to squeeze in the items on my last-minute shopping without bursting my luggage, i immediately rushed to the airport. news have spread that cebu pacific has been overbooking the passengers for their flights for probably very lame reasons. i can't really get why they need to do this. i arrived at the airport three hours early for my flight and that is something i rarely, rarely do.

so everything else went well right after i checked in. there was enough time to get a nap and do some duty-free window shopping. then i was on board the plane, and almost slept through the whole flight.

it feels good to be on your way home. and doing that during the holidays makes it twice better.

not so long december

it has been quite a long december. it's just the 20th, five days before christmas eve and so much has happened already. i have finally learned to let go of toxic people, played with fate, and now, i am collecting stardusts.

i thought i was about to loose the mood of the festive season, when now i am basking with such joy that it's difficult to contain. my heart has been flying up, up and away that i am having a hard time to keep it put. i should really learn to stop falling in love with love, or end up with a dreamy christmas. but then, there's nothing wrong with that, right?

my friends have been telling me to enjoy the moments, loose all the negativity, and keep that smile on the face and start to realize about the dozen of things to be really thankful for. indeed, there's lot's to be thankful for.

so.. it's just five days before christmas eve and i am flying back to cebu tonight to spend my christmas with my family. yey! but before that, i have to be the bridesmaid for my roommate's wedding in bacolod, and i've been really so excited because it's gonna be my first time in that town. oh, and i got a few more trips planned right after christmas, i can't wait! it's gonna be a busy vacation for me then.

and.. i'm so looking forward for the new year. :)

voucher transactions

i woke up in the middle of the night and this was the first thing that came into my mind. Dang! you know you're too stressed at work when it creeps under your bed and tries to steal you away from your dream. and yes, i was indeed trying to sleep soundly last night. but obviously, it wasn't so sound as i hoped it would be.

however, i had a good laugh when i got to work this morning when i read my emails.

it went like this:

Email 1

To: Lizette
cc: Project Manager
Subject: Issues on blah-blah-blah

Hi Technical Manager,

blah blah blah blah

Regards,
Lizette

Email 2

To: Technical manager
cc: Lizette
Subject: Fw: Issues on blah-blah-blah

Hi Technical Manager,

I am forwarding message from Liz.

Liz seems to be too tired and sent the mail to herself :D

Regards,
Project Manager

Email 3

To: Lizette
cc: Project Manager
Subject: RE Issues on blah-blah-blah

Know how you feel Liz:)

Regards,
Technical Manager

My managers are so kind... and funny too. :D