I Blog, Therefore I Am.

"Another fresh new year is here...
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest...
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!"

- William Arthur Ward

Photo Credit: Flickr

I love weddings! So it was such a delight when we attended Paul and Cindy's Church Wedding at the Nuestra Senora De Gracia in Makati last Saturday, October 9.



Paul is a former officemate and a very good friend from Honda. He went to the US after the 'big Honda exodus' where he met and fell in love with the lovely Cindy.

June 30, 2010 is another historic day for the Philippines as we honor and celebrate the inauguration of the 15th Philippine President, Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III. Noynoy took his oath of office in front of  an audience of 500,000+ before 12:00 nn today. He was swore-in after his Vice President, Jejomar Binay, at Quirino Grandstand in Manila.

Here's a video of the inaugural speech:

Forget the critiques and criticisms, you should admit that this is one of the best Philippine Presidential Inaugural speeches we've heard in ages. Not so much on the promises but more of the action. Here are some of my favorite lines:






The full text of President Aquino's Inaugural Speech can be found here.
The English translation can also downloaded here.

I am so behind with my blog posts. This entry was supposed to be posted two months ago. I've been busy with work and personal stuff so I wasn't able to update. I have a whole lot more to tell about the summer that was and I'm really hoping that I would be able to blog them all.

Our first family adventure for the summer was a Visita Iglesia of Laguna churches. I've been to Ilocos, Batangas, Cebu and other old Spanish towns and provinces but nothing beats Laguna when it comes to its abundance of historical churches. I've always been fascinated by churches so this trip is both cultural and religious. The goal of the travel was to visit 7 churches which includes a trip to the popular Kamay Ni Hesus religious grounds in Lucban, Quezon. We had two Stations of the Cross for each visit to complete the 14 stations.

OUR LADY OF THE HOLY ROSARY CHURCH
Our first stop was the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Parish at Luisiana, Laguna. It's a very simple church but is very popular among Visita Iglesia goers. It's also said that it's the oldest parish honoring Nuestra Senora del Rosario in the Philippines.

As a break from all the election talks and to celebrate a very tiring but fulfilling week at work, the boyfriend and I went to The Ultimate Taste Test 4.0 event of one of our favorite blogs, Our Awesome Planet. The event, on its 4th offering, was a gathering of the foodie community and up-and-coming food suppliers and their 'winning' dishes.

There were more than 50 food suppliers who gave portions and samples to the hundreds of foodies who attended. The foodies in return served as amateur "food critiques" for the night and rated the dishes. Food suppliers who will get high ratings will be featured in Anton's Our Awesome Planet blog.

The event started at 7:00 pm and it ended 10:00 pm. Though we were prompt, the registration lines at NBC Tent were already long when we arrived. It reminded me of the long election queue we had just last Monday.



The event is actually a very good venue to discover good and affordable food and restaurants in Manila. We only paid P200 ($4.43) each and we were able to taste and experience more than 20 different food choices and variants. It was truly a money well spent. We were stuffed from all the appetizers, main courses and desserts we had.

Less than 6 hours from now and the voting precincts will open for the very first National Automated Elections in the Philippines. Are we all ready? Are we all set? I cannot properly organize my thoughts on this election so I made a list instead for easy writing.



1. I want to be a Citizen Journalist or a volunteer for this election, I even filed a leave for May 11. But I was pulled for a special project at work (also related to the national event) which I cannot post here. So volunteering is not going to happen.

2. I'll try to vote early. We are not familiar with these PCOS machines so we better be there as soon as we can.

3. For those who will report tomorrow, one of the most important things you should do is to make sure that your gadgets and tools are all charged up.

4. The hashtags and keywords for election news monitoring for Twitter are #juanvote, #eleksyon, #halalan, #purplethumb. The most popular and often used among them is #halalan, thanks to ABS-CBN.

5. If you don't vote, you don't have the right to complain about the government. Your vote is your voice!

6. There's no such thing as a "wasted vote". Vote for whom you feel is right. Even if he/she is an unpopular choice. Don't be swayed by surveys.

7. There's no such thing as a "family vote" or "girlfriend/boyfriend vote" for us. We will vote as to what we feel and think is right. Fortunately, we will all vote for the same President and Vice President.

8. I am probably the only believer that one can win an election even without paying off people.

9. "Hoping for the best but expecting the worst" - my thoughts on these PCOS machines. I hope I am wrong.

10. My uncle, brother of my mom, is running for Vice Mayor of our town. It's a very competitive race. The driver/bodyguard of my uncle was even shot dead last week. Scary.

11. I will check the voting record of my Congressman after I made this post. Looks like he's a shoo-in for re-election since two of his opponents are unknowns. Nevertheless, I have to check what he did in the last 3 years. I can always pull a blank.

12. I will NOT vote for Estrada, Defensor, Enrile, Lapid, Revilla and Sotto. But looks like these ogres and entertainers will still be back in the Senate. Enough of these traditional politicians. We need new blood. Consider Alex Lacson.

13. I like Gibo. I admit that there were moments in the last few weeks when I want to switch to green. The only thing that is preventing me is the fact that Gibo will never turn his back on GMA. Ever.

14. I am mighty scared of Erap 2.0. Read this post of RJ Marmol and her valid points.

15. Gibo is leading the online surveys and even the online positive mentions since most of his voters are here. Internet penetration in the Philippines is still low even if 13.4 million Filipinos are in Facebook.

16. The only President I will fully accept and support is Gibo or Noynoy. Enough said.

17. I am Pro-Noynoy but I will not be Pro-People Power if he will lose in the elections.

18. I have a lot of reasons why I am going for Yellow & Blue. Here's a simple explanation and analogy:

During yearly evaluations in our company, we have our Key Results Area (KRA) and Behavioral Scores. Though KRA is very important, I always make it a point to give more value to the Behavioral Score of my people. I believe that you can always teach people skills, but you cannot change one's behavior and attitude that easily. As one article says, you cannot delegate sincerity and honesty. People may judge me but I believe that Noynoy and Mar are two of the most genuinely nice leaders that the Filipino people can entrust their future on. I am not voting for the lesser evil, I am voting for THE good one. We need to bring back the moral goodness in our government.

The first kiss of the married couple was repeated several times because the "photographers" (Tita, Ate Chinky, Jako, me) cannot get it right. Here's my version:



Photos of family and friends who attended and witnessed CJ & Aileen's big day:





The post-wedding celebration was held in Italianni's Greenbelt 2, Aileen's favorite. Good thing Tin was able to catch up and join us. She even asked me and Charu to make a side trip to the mall to buy the bride a basket (sorry, private joke).





Congratulations and Best Wishes, Madamme & CJ! Cheers!



More pictures of the wedding at my Flickr site.

Here is my 52 Weeks entry for the 6th week of the year.


Last week was a pretty big week for celebrations since Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year both fell on the same date. I was planning to post either a mushy and cheesy Valentine photo or an oriental Chinese one for this week's entry. I failed on both. I ran out of camera battery when Witt and I had our Pre-Valentine's Dinner at Mesa; and we were not able to go to Binondo for Chinese New Year as planned. So I chose these yummy-looking Strawberry Mousse instead since it's somehow Heart-y because of its red and pink colors.

These sinfully delicious Strawberry Mousse is from Dusit Thani Hotel. We had our National Cascade last Monday and these were the stars from the dessert buffet. Absolutely yummy!

I also had some Tiramisu (outtake) shots which I would also like to share:



I must've gained 5 lbs. from this experience!

P.S.
Happy Blog Birthday! It's been 6 wonderful years! :)

Happy New Year!

As part of my resolution for the year, I committed myself to taking more photos compared to last year. I vowed to devote some of my time this year to photography. I also got myself a Flickr Pro account where I will document the beautiful pictures and memories of the year.

As motivation, I started a 52 Weeks Photo Project where I will upload one photo a week and make short descriptions about it. I began the project this week and will cross-post here whatever I will upload on my Flickr - so that guarantees at least four blog posts a month. Yey me!

Here's my first entry:



The first wedding of the year was Francis and Cleng's last January 3 at Madre De Dios Chapel at Tagaytay Midlands, Tagaytay City, Philippines. The wedding was also my 11th "bridesmaidship".

This much-awaited celebration was 11 years in the making. It was grand, fun and truly nice. The whole event was well-prepared and memorable. Beautiful couple, fabulous gowns, the priest's sermon was good, the food were sumptuous, and the entertainment provided was the talk of the town!

Best Wishes, Francis & Cleng!

This is first part of a series of my annual year-ender post. This was inspired by the Top 10 of Everything list of Time which they also publish yearly. I neglected writing on this blog for quite some time so I will post in length by batch my TOP EVERYTHING for this year.

TOP NEWS EVENTS
I classified this as the Top News Events of the year which affected me most - political, national, current events, scandals, pop culture - whether it's positive or negative.

The Obama Inauguration
I was glued to the TV and the Internet last January 21 (Manila Time) for the oath-taking and inauguration of the first Black US President, Barrack Obama. It's a momentous event for me not because of the politics behind his victory, but because of what he represents. His winning symbolizes that anybody can dream dreams regardless of odds and tradition.



Cory's Passing
Like most Filipinos, I was deeply saddened by the death of Former President Cory Aquino last August 2009. Together with my family and Witt, we lined up in Manila Cathedral in Intramuros to see her remains and to sympathize with her family. Her death paved the way for the younger generations to know more about her conjugal heroism with her husband, Ninoy, and their great contribution to the Philippines.

The Famous Le Cirque Dinner
Guess who spent $20,000 on a Le Cirque dinner while the Philippines is mourning for former President Aquino? There are so many disastrous things that GMA did this year but this one is my favorite. It's so in your face! $%#^*@!#



The Hayden Kho Scandal
Hayden should thank Ondoy, Pepeng, Manny Pacquiao and even Krista. We will still be talking about Hayden (and Maricar, Katrina, Vicky, and the Brazilian Model) until now if not for the typhoons and people I mentioned in the first sentence. Isa kang henyo, Hayden!



Nonoy & Mar's Announcements
Noynoy is the unexpected game changer for the 2010 Philippine election. His mother's death gave him the opportunity to seriously run for the highest position in the land; capitalizing on important values like prudence, humility honesty. A lot has already been said about this so I'll stop now.

Erap's Announcement
Enough already! The scum wants to try again. Anyone who reads this blog knows how much I hate the guy.

Ondoy
Definitely the newsmaker of the year (with Pepeng trailing behind). Typhoon Ketsana came gently into the good night of September 25 without us knowing that it will bring massive rain water for eight straight hours that will result to the great Manila flood in recent memory. Ondoy is heart-breaking because it devastated and affected people whom you actually know. Everyone has an Ondoy story to tell. Whether it's a story of loss, heroism or bayanihan, everyone has a tale to tell. It was a chaotic two weeks for the Philippines but it also showed how Filipinos can rise from tragedy and help those in need.



Other runners-up on my list of Top News Events are the Maguindanao Massacre, the ZTE debacle and Manny Pacquiao (his winnings and the Krista-gate).

Photo Credits: TIME, CNN, New York Post

Jako & Charu. FINALLY! What a great way to go back to blogging by posting about the very nice and super fun wedding of my dear friends, Jako and Charu. Friends and readers of my blog are sure familiar with this duo who are very often featured and pictured here at my blog.

Jako and Charu are my friends from highschool. They first met in Kindergarten (!!!) but only got together as a couple five years ago. It really made me happy that they finally sealed the deal last December 12, Saturday, at St. Jerome Emiliani in Alabang. They've always been one of my favorite couples and I am really happy that I was part of the beginning of their happily ever after.

Here are some of the things I love about the wedding:

The Crying Sentimental Bride
Charu cried throughout her bridal march and we find it really really heart-felt. We can't help but shed a tear or two as we watch her all beautiful and regal yet crying her heart out as she walks to the love of her life.




The Crying Groom
Jako's moment came when he was reading and reciting his self-made vows to Charu.




We were part of it!
Tintin, Aileen and I were part of the entourage as Bridesmaids and Veil Sponsors. We are so happy and delighted that the couple chose us to be part of their wedding. We are honored! :)




"Swerte Ako!"
Wong & Kaloy, friends from Highschool, put a sign of "Swerte Ako!" (I'm Lucky!) on Charu's side of the chair after their Secondary Sponsors duties. Charu's mom asked the camera people and the female entourage members to put it on Jako instead. The sign kept on switching from Jako's side to Charu's side throughout the ceremony!




Blue & The Cambe Gowns
Junjun Cambe outdid himself with Charu's tube gown and its intricate bead work. Our blue bridesmaids gown were also cool! The boys also look nice with their Lumban Barongs.




The Baicapture Booth
Photo booths are all rage now and Baicapture is the most popular! We had around 10 snaps at the booth! Talk about sulit!






Cologne Fountain
This is probably one of the most unique wedding give-aways I've ever seen. There was a fountain of cologne and guests can get their share through the bottle sprays that were provided! Cool!




Jako & Charu's First Dance
The couple's first dance was slow and sweet but they shifted midway to a choreographed dance move which got collective cheers from their guests.




Elation and the After-Party!
Jako & Charu really knows how to throw a party! We had unlimited shots, cocktails and mocktails because of the Elation Mobile Bar. There were non-stop dancing and partying at the dance floor, even the parents and the godparents joined the celebration!








The Bride
Charu's one of the most elegant and beautiful brides I've ever seen. Need I say more? :)




Best Wishes, J & C! :) We love you!

Thanks to Tin for the Cologne Fountain shot and to Witt for taking most of the pictures above.

I was fortunate to be in Boracay last Labor Day weekend for the Smart Buddy Hot Summer Samahan event. I was not really expecting the work trip and I only learned that I was going less than 24 hours before my actual departure. I went to the island to oversee one of the activities of Smart's premiere summer event.

It was only my third trip to the island and it was fun to learn and experience new things and visit different places which I haven't been. It's also nice to discover a different Boracay apart from the watersports and beaching that we all love. Read on!

1. I was "almost" and "mostly" solo on the trip and it was both good and bad. Good because I can do all the things I want and bad because I don't have anybody to share it with.

2. Labor Day weekend was the second busiest period of summer! I was early at the airport but I was still bumped off because PAL Express overbooked my flight due to four canceled Caticlan flights that day.



3. PAL Express transferred us to Seair and it was my first time to ride a 20-seater plane (I counted)! The plane was bare and I can't sleep. I was finally able to sleep 30 minutes after take-off but the repeated turbulence woke me up.

4. The upside of Seair? We were only 9,000 ft. high so I was able to take some overhead shots; and land and sea travel to Boracay were also free!





5. There were so many people in Boracay that weekend! It was so crowded! You have to line-up for almost everything. It was also raining on and off but the people were dedma about it.

6. I met and worked with colleagues from Boracay, Iloilo and Makati who helped me with agents stuff, booth supervision and reaching the target. :)

7. First lunch meal was at The Big Mouth in D'Mall with colleagues. I ordered a small bowl of Pesto Pasta and a glass of Coke. Damage? Php 200! Welcome to Boradise of Expensive Everything!



8. I was supposed to stay at Patio Pacific (it was overbooked) or at the Fairways (it was so far) but I ended up at this simple, beachfront hotel at Station 1 called Casa Fiesta. It was right in front of our event venue and it was just less than a hundred feet from our Wireless Center. Perfect!

9. The lady who owns Casa Fiesta was very kind and accommodating. She did not ask for even a deposit or a down payment for my 4-day stay. She just asked me to fill-out some forms. The room was spacious and the bathroom was clean. It has a double bed, a TV, a ref, a/c and a veranda overlooking the beach.

10. Work on my first day was very stressful. The target was high and it was really stressful working in the beach. Unbelievable but true.



11. I took a break and a stroll along Station 1 mid-afternoon to check out the scenery. I was hoping for a Jonah's shake but it was jam-packed as usual.

12. I'll be fit as a fiddle if I live in Boracay with all the walking and strolling. I loved all the solitary walks I had.



13. I love great hotels so I took note of all the resorts and boutique hotels I want to stay in. Here are some of them: Zuzuni, Las Brisas, Residencia Boracay, Two Seasons, Bluewaves Beach House, Seawind (always been on my list since 2001), Boracay Regency and, of course, DS.



14. Since it was a work trip, we obviously had meetings! I had two on my first day.

15. I love the I-don't-care Boracay attitude that gave me the convenience of wearing anything I want. Shorts? Check! Floral overload? Check! Non-black stuff? Check! It was also the first time I wore white in years!

16. Our first day dinner was buffet at Seawind where I was able to taste one of the best pastas I've ever had = Oil & Garlic With Mushrooms and Hams. I am now hunting for a recipe!




17. There was also something in the Boracay air that makes one thirsty! So I ordered a glass of Bailey's on one of the beach bars near my hotel. I had the shock of my life when the bartender gave me two glasses. I apparently ordered one their "buy one, take one" drinks. Geez!



18. I was up bright and early on my 2nd day for our actual Summer Samahan event. I was happy and excited. I was up until 2:00 am devising a strategy that would "sell". It DID sell and we had a favorable outcome. Yey, me!

19. I was busy the entire day working non-stop. I only stopped for a well-deserved lunch at Tribraz along Station 2. Tribraz is a french bistro near Cafe Del Mar. I had Potato & Meat Casserole and Rice Pilaf. Yummy!

20. I had an EX moment across the miles. I can't believe it! *shakes head, roll eyes*

21. Speaking of #21, I learned that all my pasts and possible future are all Smart subscribers. Galeng!

22. The Summer Samahan event was so great! Bosses will be happy. I realized that I can also be an excellent frontliner and on-ground person. Chat will be proud!



23. I would like to thank Aqtiv 100 Plus Energy Drink (Hi, Jomar! Hello, Mark!) and Colgate for the support and sponsorship. Until next time!

24. I was so exhausted the whole day but it did not hinder me to peek at my Social Networking Sites and tweet.

25. Second night's dinner was another buffet at Le Soleil De Boracay at Station 2 with colleagues. It was just so so. Nothing spectacular.

26. I strolled along Station 2 and 3 after dinner. I discovered new restaurants, saw the new Mandarin Spa and took note of all the places I can take my family on our trip in June.



27. Looks like the best chill-out places in the island are (and still are) Guilly's, Bamboo Lounge and the new Obama's Grill at Statiton 1; and Bombom's, SummerPlace and Hey Jude at Station 2.


The new Obama Grill at Station 1

28. Spongecola is the best! 'Nuff said, love 'em. The Summer Samahan Event culminated with a concert of Spongecola, Rocksteddy and Bamboo. Rock on!

29. I caught a fever because of the on/off rain and the high temp of my room's AC. I spent the night on-line with my favorite fattening snack bought from D'Mall: Lays & Coke.

30. I am the biggest loser in Boracay because I spent the day in bed resting and nursing my colds on my 3rd day. I was awoken by cheers before lunch as a result of Pacman's greatest boxing battle against Hatton. I wasn't able to watch the match live but I learned from Twitter how the bloodshed happened.

31. I spent my final afternoon doing usual Boracay stuff like eating Chori Burger, strolling along Station 1 and sipping Jonah's Fruitshake. I tried the plain Mocha flavor and it was delicious.



32. There was, of course, the Sunset! It was not a magnificent summer sunset and it was very cloudy but it was great nonetheless.





33. I love the All Flip Flops By The Beach store at Station 1. Nice lighting, too!



34. My favorite Boracay activity is Massage By The Beach so I obviously did not leave the island without it. It was relaxing and refreshing as usual.

35. I had my first-ever Henna Tattoo! I was so happy about it so I had two. One on my right ankle and the other one on my right leg.



36. One of my best ever meal was at Aria. I had the Aglio, Olio, e Peperoncino pasta for my last lunch at the island. It was so delicious. All the raves about Aria are indeed true!



37. The flight back home was breeze. I took a PAL Express flight and I must say that it's the best ride I've ever had from Caticlan to Manila. It's not as "uncontrolled" like Cebu Pacific and Seair.



38. I arrived around 4:00 PM on a Monday and was both happy and sad about it. Sad because I just came back from one of best places in the world and happy because I am back in my beloved city with my family and friends on it.

I'll be going back to Boracay in June but this time with the family. We will be celebrating my brother's 27th birthday there. Hopefully, I'll be able to swim and do beach stuff and watersports by then.