Progress

23 May 2013
Musings, Personal
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I fail at blogging lately. I know, and I feel bad for my new followers. Those who thought my site was interesting, but takes me forever to write a [sensible] follow-up entry. While I take a backseat on blogging, everything else in my life is going smoothly as planned. Progress. Yes, how about we discuss that today?

Progress #1

Last week, I had my measurement taken for my wedding dress. Yes, that was my post about having an “eventful Thursday afternoon”. I took Mom with me to my designer’s shop because she decided to have her dress made by my designer, too. I must admit that I was a bit worried because Mom could be very cautious when it comes to first impressions.

Before having my measurement taken, my couturier sketched Mom a design that meets her restrictions and woes. She was quite surprised with what my designer envisioned her in, but I can tell she’s pretty excited just the same. We were the only clients at his shop that afternoon, hence we had time for some chit-chat over wedding-related stuff.

I’m glad that trip turned out really well. Oh, and did I mention that my first fitting is scheduled last week of June? Which brings me to my next progress update.

Progress #2

I have been working on losing weight since January 2011, and have shared this experience here last year.

It takes dedication and discipline to convince oneself to take exercising and proper diet seriously, and I’m grateful that I possess both traits because now I see [and appreciate] the fruits of my labor.

I began joining this photo-a-day challenge by Chantelle Ellem (@fatmumslim) on Instagram last April. I had fun doing it, so I joined the same challenge again this month. For yesterday’s post, the topic/theme was “Change”. I had nothing else in mind, thus I uploaded a photo collage of myself from 2009 until my recent picture in March instead:

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I don’t get this much likes in my posts in Instagram, so the gesture made me flinch. Some even left comments that made my day. I’m not going to lie, but it felt good getting reassurance from friends. I’m no fitness expert, but knowing that I inspire other people to a healthier lifestyle is enough reason to keep going.

Progress #3

A few weeks ago, my Matron-of-Honor asked me how my wedding preparations are going. At the time, we have just booked our string quartet, and tried to work on our repertoire. When she mentioned something about the missalette, I panicked because I haven’t started working on it. She offered to do the layout and printing of our missalettes, and I graciously accepted. Since we’re bringing in a guest priest to officiate our wedding, our marriage rites will have a personal touch. One of Mom’s friend sent me liturgical readings to choose from, and insert them in the provided template as appropriate.

I finally went down on it two Mondays ago, had it checked with both Mom’s friend and Fr. Gerry, and was eventually given the green lights to have the missalette reproduced.

In a few days, our six-months-before-the-wedding countdown will commence. It hasn’t happened yet, but I’m already freaking out!

Mommy-ger

17 May 2013
Food, Personal
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Mother's Day Lunch at Sambo Kojin, SM Southmall

Mother’s Day Lunch at Sambo Kojin, SM Southmall

Now this is the post I had planned on writing about last Monday since it was a holiday here in the Philippines. However, I got caught up with other things—the National and Local Elections and I had to finish working on our missalette for the wedding.

For this year’s Mother’s Day celebration, we had lunch at SamboKojin, along with my future parents-in-law. Since Miggy and I are nearing six-months-wedding-countdown, our topic over lunch is everything wedding-related. I can tell both families are excited about the much-anticipated event of the year.

It’s a shame, though, that I was not able to get Mom a personalized gift nor a simple birthday card this year. I don’t want to justify my reasons, but it’s pretty evident why. It’s sad that I failed to exert more effort into making Mom special on this day. I’ll make it up to her on Father’s Day, perhaps?

Mom is my official Mommy-ger. She’s a hands-on mother (and wife) to her family. I admire her for she did (and continues to do) great with her role. I look up to her so much that I want to be as amazing of a wife and mother to my future husband and children as she already is.

Soon, I will be opening another chapter of my life as a married woman, and I wish that I make her proud for I will be a reflection of her love and dedication to her family. If I can’t be like her, I will, at least, try to become the best person that she ever hoped and prayed for.

No words can express nor define how much we are grateful for you, Mom. We are truly blessed to have you as our mother. I love you, Mom. Always and forever.

P.S. Please excuse Mom’s muffin top. She just finished a plate full of grilled goodness, plus she had all three of us, remember? Don’t judge her. She’s working on getting back in shape for my wedding. :)

Awareness

16 May 2013
Musings, Personal
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Nanay's 74th Birthday Celebration, AristocratI know I have yet to post what we did on Mother’s Day, but a relevant news involving Angelina Jolie reminded me of my grandmother’s before-death battle.

My mother’s parents had been living in the US with her eldest sister for a long time when they decided to finally come home to the Philippines in October 2006. The news came as shock to everyone especially when they seem to have made up their mind before breaking it out to their children. A month or two later, we were surprised to know that my grandmother had checked herself in at St. Luke’s Medical Center to undergo a major operation: a mastectomy, removing her right breast.

Another month later, my grandmother was brought to the hospital due to complications from her operation. It turned out, she had breast cancer, and that the cancer cells have metastasized throughout her body. Everything happened so fast that no one really realized that my grandmother suffered a mild stroke in her sleep, thus resulting to slurred speech. It was devastating most especially to my mother, who was the immediate family member to attend to her needs (apart from my grandfather). My grandmother was in and out of the hospital until all seven children decided to take her home.

With the assistance of my mother’s brother, they turned my grandparents’ living room into a bedroom, fully accessible to other parts of the house (i.e., bathroom, kitchen, dining area). My grandmother was obese, so they had to take her bed down in replacement of the living room couch. Though very costly, the children decided to employ two caregivers to attend to her needs.

My grandmother’s battle with breast cancer lasted for about nine months despite her doctors’ initial assumption of only three to four months. It was heartbreaking to see my grandmother suffer with her illness. There were days when she would wail for hours, perhaps because of unbearable pain. She was restless, hardly even had a decent sleep. Likewise, it was difficult to see Mom endure the pain of seeing what her own mother’s going through. My mother was there every minute of every day.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

I relive this memory as I read through Angelina Jolie’s decision to undergo a preventive double mastectomy earlier this week. According to news, her decision was influenced by the cause of her mother’s death in 2007. Marcheline Bertrand died of ovarian cancer at the age of 56, and after learning that Angelina carries a mutation of the BRCA1 gene, which sharply increases her risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer, she made a decision for herself and her family. Angelina claimed that her chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87% to under 5%.

Source: http://www.breastreconstructionnetwork.com

Not so long ago, Giuliana Rancic, a host (E! News/Fashion Police), a reality TV star (Giuliana & Bill), and a breast cancer survivor, also underwent a double mastectomy in 2011. Giuliana and her husband, Bill, had been trying to conceive a baby when she learned that she had breast cancer. I watched a few episodes of Giuliana & Bill at the time, and I could tell that it had been a very difficult situation for them and their families.

These two ladies have used their public figures as a platform to bring awareness to women, especially those who may be walking in the same shoes as theirs. I personally liked the following parting words from Angelina Jolie herself:

“For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options,” Jolie wrote. “I want to encourage every woman, especially if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, to seek out the information and medical experts who can help you through this aspect of your life, and to make your own informed choices.”

But for Jolie, the decision ultimately came down to her kids.

“I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer,” she said.

This news may have rattled everyone else who has heard about it, but I truly admire her courage to do something that could greatly affect her and her family in various ways. You are phenomenal, Angelina Jolie. You truly are beautiful inside and out. God bless you and your family, Angie. May you continue to inspire people through your peacefulness as well as your battles.

Give Me A Break

15 May 2013
Food, Personal, Travel
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Have you ever wanted to take a breather, get out of the city, but you decide against it, thinking it could be costly? For someone who works most days of the year, I think I deserve a break at least for a day. Since summer season kicked off here in the Philippines, my Twitter and Instagram timelines have been plagued with photos from my friends’ beach getaway. I’m not going to lie, but those photos make me envious.

Source: http://www.splashandrelax.co.uk

My family hasn’t seen the clear waters and fine sand of the beach in three years, and this year was no exception. The prickly heat would have made more sense if we were lounging by the sea. Oftentimes, my brothers and I coax each other into buying an inflatable kiddie pool just so we could at least take advantage of the extreme hot weather. For your information, the weather in the Philippines is damp, hence making it more unbearable in most days.

Two weekends ago, Dad finally took us to Nuvali in Sta. Rosa, Calamba, Laguna. It’s only a few kilometers away from the city, but it’s far enough to enjoy the beauty of nature and its scenery. We arrived there just in time for lunch. I was really up for some sushi and sashimi, but I was outnumbered by my family, so we ended up at David’s Tea House, a Chinese restaurant. 

Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna

Lunch at David's Tea House & Hot Pot, Nuvali

After lunch, we stayed by the fish pond and fed the koi fishes. We used to do have an aquarium at home with a few gold fishes, and feeding a lot more fishes was actually fun! We, then, took a stroll towards Solenad 1&2 to check the retail shops and other establishments out. Before we return to where we were first stayed, we made a quick trip at Serenitea for a milk tea fix. Incidentally, Dad’s former colleague lives nearby, so we were invited to come over to their house for a little get-together. He even took us to see Republ1c Wake Park, a place suitable for sporty people like myself! Who would have thought that a wake park could be accessible here? I mean, you need not go to Camarines Sur to get the wake boarding experience. In fact, we might try it out when Miggy comes home again this year.

Family at Nuvali

Nuvali

Republ1c Wake Park, Nuvali

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Most people think that the best places to go during the summer are somewhere a boat- or plane-ride away from the city, but really, all you have to do is drive further down South to get the break that you deserve. That trip to Nuvali wasn’t our typical summer getaway, but we sure enjoyed a day spent with family and friends. Another one for the books!

A Good Kind of PMS-ing

14 May 2013
Personal
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Today I returned to work from a three-day long weekend.
 As expected, I am swamped with work, 
but not anything I can't manage.
 My Tuesday kicked off well except that I had been 
unusually lethargic.
 Ah, must be the PMS.

Source: http://jinxipedia.blogspot.com/

Just when I tried to ward the feeling off, 
I received a very exciting news from one of my girl friends!

Source: http://memefaces.tumblr.com

Literally cried tears of joy today! 

So, how did your day go, guys?

SEPANX.

2 May 2013
Personal
2 Comments

I am a very emotional person. By emotional, I mean I am easily affected by random things: I laugh at the corniest joke and cry for the silliest reason. My family and most close friends can validate this claim. When I was younger, my uncles and aunts used to tease me that I could well pass for a great actress should I choose to take that path. While it did cross my mind once or twice, I never took the joke seriously.

I am terrible with goodbyes. I actually remind myself of Abby Abernathy of Jamie McGuire’s Beautiful Disaster when she’d rather leave unannounced than suffer from separation anxiety. Last week was the last day of one of my buddies at work. Nica has decided to leave the company in search for “greener pasture”. Nica is four years my junior. She is actually the same age as my younger brother, hence I considered her as my little sister.

For future reference, I have written a short list of things NOT to do with this young woman:

  1. Save her from a potential parasite. Nica was a fresh graduate when she was offered a job as a Journal Account Officer. Being the youngest in the team, she allowed herself to make friends with her new colleagues. One of them took advantage of her youth, and that was when I decided to step into the picture. I need not elaborate on what happened, but Nica and I knew it was the beginning of a budding friendship.
  2. Ask her about anything Korean. When she’s at it, she never stops. Never. She can go on for an entire day animatedly talking about anything and everything Korean. She won’t give up. You will.
  3. Ask her what book she’s currently reading. For the record, I have to thank her (and Micah), for they influenced me into reading again despite how busy I have been. Anyway, when she’s really into the book she’s reading, she has the tendency to spoil the story for you. This applies to whatever she’s reading, regardless of its genre. You won’t even need to read it yourself.
  4. Talk to her about shopping. I have to link this with the second item above because to Nica, “clothes” and “Koreans” go together. Enough said.
  5. Discuss political and/or religious views with her. If you’re not up for a debate, then don’t. Just don’t. The kid has a degree in International Studies, so you may not win a way out of whatever opinion you may have. Nica takes these things to the next level; whoever dared will either be left dumbfounded or annoyed.
  6. Confide in her. She may appear out of sorts sometimes, but this lady sure knows how to keep secrets. I knew this when for whatever reason, she called me, and asked me to find her in the ladies’ room. I didn’t know what was going on, but she suddenly burst into tears. I was clueless, but I tried to comfort her like an elder sister would. Nica is as vulnerable as I am, hence I don’t hesitate to confide in her whenever the need arises. We may not be the best of friends, but we sure know how to lend an ear and a shoulder to cry on like most good friends do.
Christmas 2012

Christmas 2012

I could come up with a longer list, but that would take so much of your time. Now, here’s my little farewell message to you, Nica:

You are an exceptional person. You are wise beyond your years. While you excel in a lot of ways, you also have moments when you’re slow on uptake. That is fine because you are still young. Well, you’re not getting any younger, but you possess the ability to learn through life’s experiences. I know you’re not afraid to take chances—resigning from your previous job was the first of the many opportunities that will come your way.

Remain humble. I cannot say this enough because I know you really are intelligent, but you also have to learn to be modest. Just do your thing, and let people realize [in their own ways] how valuable you are. Surprise them with what you got, Nic!

Last, but certainly not the least, invest on good friends, not on tangible things. People come and go. Every person you meet along the way may not be as significant as you expect them to be, but they may have taken part in your own play, your so-called life. Be grateful because you truly deserve the blessings that come your way.

We miss you already! Good luck and Happy First Day Funk!

For what it’s worth, I did all the above-mentioned with Nica. I know I failed miserably, but it sure was a friendship for keeps. No crying, young lady. I’ll see you in my wedding! ;)

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