't'was a Christmas of mixed emotions

A blessed holiday season from the Funa household!

This past Christmas eve is something I'd never forget. For one, this was the first time I spent it away from my family in Taytay. It was a bit strange not waking up late in the afternoon to see my mom busying herself in the kitchen for the midnight dinner. It was weird that this time around, it's me who'd be busy in the kitchen! And second, it's because it's the first time in our 11 years that Francis and I spent Christmas eve together. So of course, we had to make it special by celebrating it with a simple Noche Buena--cream dory fillet in cherry sauce, penne pasta in red sauce and chocolate fondue for dessert, all complemented with red wine.

Prior to the Christmas eve celebration, Francis decided to just dine out for the usual 7pm dinner. We headed to the neighboring Alex III resto and ordered a little too much for our tummies--lengua with mushroom and pinakbet sa bagnet (mixed veggies with chunks of deep fried pork). The bagnet was to blame for making us so full.

Anway, a few hours before midnight, I had to prepare our meal. It wasn't as taxing as when I had to prepare dinner for 10 people during our pad's dedication. Our Christmas eve fare was actually exciting to prepare because there's not much slicing and frying to be done. Before long, everything was ready. A few minutes to 12mn, we changed into more decent attire because the dinner also served as a Christmas eve date, complete with candle lights.

As we uttered our prayer of thanksgiving, I was surprised to actually find myself crying--I was so full of joy and I felt so blessed for the life I have now that I cried with happiness. I could not thank the Lord enough for all the blessings He's been showering our way. As a colleague noticed, "marriage life does me well", and I can't help but agree. Being with Francis in this binding relationship made me a better person, and is making me want to become even better than better. Paradoxically, being away from my own family in Taytay has, in a way, made me even closer to them. This whole, new life has changed me in more ways than I had imagined-- it has made me more appreciative and thankful to Him who made these things possible. Some would probably say that I can afford to be grateful and all cheery because this is just the first year of marriage and that there are more challenges in store as the years progress. Sure, I know there are; but I also know that with the Lord as the center of our relationship, and with our family and friends around us who continue to rejoice with us and support us, our marriage life will always be a blessing--and that thought is more than enough reason to celebrate this Christmas season and the many others to come.

we gonna take a boat to the end of the world...

A few minutes ago, Francis excitedly showed me this video of one of our favorite bands, Dave Matthews Band. The song is titled "You and Me".



Aside from the vid, my husband also made me read the lyrics, found here.

On an ordinary day, what my husband did may seem mundane. On an ordinary week, the song may not even mean anything special to me. But during this time of despondency (on my part) enough to drive the sanity out of me, that song, that simple act from my husband, meant a lot. Not only because I badly need to unwind far away from the city (the lyrics apparently speak of traveling--physically and romantically), but also because I just need some time to escape so I can think clearly. Thinking and analyzing things have been my preoccupation as of late; and I tell you, such preoccupation drives me insane.

Anyway, after listening to the song and reading the lyrics, I now declare this to be our official travel song. We may not travel as often as we want to as many places we desire (though we're working on setting a reasonable "travel frequency"), but I'm sure that in any journey, we'll always be together, with the Lord walking with us.

And to my husband: I cannot thank you enough for the many, many times you've picked me up. Yep, "You and me together, we could do anything."

on a day-off

For two consecutive long weekends, I was out on a shoot. It sucks. I feel like such a loser. Haha! So now I took a day off to make up for loss time at home. Ahh, home.

I never thought I'd be this attached to our (relatively) new place. I always look forward to going home, never mind if the main chore waiting for me every day is cooking (which I enjoy, anyway; we eat out every once in a while--hurrah to that!). There's something about starting a new life and living in a new place that make going home exciting and special. Of course, I still have some adjustments to make; but all in all, I'm loving this place--how it's relatively near to everything (malls, hospitals, my workplace, my hubby's workplace, UP, etc); how a small community on our street exists sans the horrid busyness of the metropolis. Sure, it gets busy every weekend, but it's nothing we can't stand. How can we complain if there's Starbucks, South Star Drugstore, Eunilane, Nuat Thai Massage and more than a handful of restaurants just a stone's throw away from our building?!?

But of course, I still miss my home in Taytay--everything and everyone in it. I miss hearing the soles of my shoes softly pound the pavement whenever I go home late and there's practically no one on the street. I miss seeing and hearing rowdy kids playing on a Saturday, as they agitate our dogs who would, of course, bark at them, waking me up. I miss my mom's cooking; she even texted me yesterday saying that she feels for me for no longer being able to bring baon to work. She usually prepares my baon. I had to assure her that it's alright because I still bring baon sometimes, whenever there's some extra food left. (Awww, my mom went all senti yesterday, I bet.) I miss small talks with my sister. I even miss our fights. I miss playing with my dogs (and so it really broke my heart when mom told me one of our dogs passed away. It broke my heart so much that I cried to sleep that night). I miss sitting by the table at our indoor garden/lanai. I miss the smell of rain in that house. I miss my mega messy room. I miss it all so much. That's why I'm excited every time my mom and sis announce their unplanned visits to our new place. I enjoy the company a lot. I visit them, too, of course. And it's at these frequent visits when I realize I miss them. Indeed, it's true that proximity can make a big difference--you come to appreciate the ones you love better when you don't see them often. You bond more when you see each other.
And so as I spend the rest of this day alone in our own place, I think of my home in Taytay--but it's a thought that's not sad at all. It's a thought that makes me feel more loved and missed. And that thought is more than enough to make me feel all fuzzy inside in this gloomy, rainy weather.

i am an engineer's wife

Francis pouring over Lonely Planet's Singapore

guide while I'm being all sentimental

Francis and I have talked about what entails his being a geodetic engineer for numerous times. One major concern--I think it's the only concern--is that there are out-of-town, even out-of-the-country, assignments that may span a couple of days to a number of months. The longest we've been apart was when he was assigned (for the second time) in Cavite. He was there for five months, and this was during the time when we were preparing for our wedding. In fact, that assignment made me panic and question if he can really be hands-on on our wedding preps. But because it was just in Cavite, Francis was able to go home to Novaliches every weekend, giving him more than enough time to really help in our wedding preps. And I can say he did a great job, what with all the excel files he prepared just to make sure our wedding logistics are in place.

Although I am well aware of his possible far-from-home/far-from-me assignments, I still can't help but worry and whine and cry every time such work demands present themselves (of course, I pray they don't come often; if they do, that they be not too far and long). I know it's never easy for Francis to break the news to me. In fact, and more often than not, he exerts some effort to cushion the blow, so to speak. He'd usually treat me to a fancy dinner--a sign that he's about to break such news. (Hence, I'm a bit wary of fancy dinner invitations from him. Haha!)

***

Today is Francis' first day in Singapore. It's also my first day to learn how not to worry too much about my husband who's abroad for the first time. If I only had enough sense to fix the papers I needed to get myself my own passport way before this trip was even a possibility, I would've been there with him. I wouldn't be stuck here writing this blog (but thanks to my sis-in-law, who'll be keeping me company for 4 days that her brother's in Sing.). Yes, I'll be mushy: I miss my husband terribly. It's the first time we're this far away from each other--in our almost 11 years of being together. But I know this is how God teaches us to give more importance to each other, how to grow more fond of each other. This is God's way of teaching us to trust in our prayers, in Him. This is one of His small ways that tell me that after praying for my husband's safety, I have to learn how to lay my cares down and let Him do the job. I've always been a worrywart, and I know it's never helpful. What's the sense of praying if I would only keep on worrying even afterwards, right?

But I'm still really wishing and hoping and pleading for time to fly so fast that it's already Friday evening, when I'd be on my way to NAIA Terminal 3 to pick up and welcome back my wonderful husband. But I know that four days of being apart can spell a sweeter difference in our relationship. Plus of course, I know Francis is enjoying his time in Sing. Why, he already went gaga over hard-to-find CDs, and was ranting about how he might run out of cash hoarding those CDs (the lamenting about how expensive they are relative to the prices here came first before the ranting)! And knowing that he's enjoying his short stay there makes me happy, too.

goofy grammatical glitch

On our way out of the mall, after having dinner with my sister-in-law (who turned a year older last Tuesday), we saw this ad.

I had to look twice to see if I read the words right. Was it " sHAVED", as in "We SHAVED..."? But no, it's better than that.

So I suppose the branch moved twice. Past, past tense.

our first mag appearance as h&w, weeee!

Thanks to my friend, Bubs, for volunteering me and Francis--a newly married couple--for GH's section on financial concerns. Not that we're in a financial crisis this early into the marriage--God forbid that ever happens! The article is about various money concerns from different individuals with different backgrounds.

So go grab July Good Housekeeping pronto! There's a money trick (or two) to learn.

P.S. Thanks also to Alona for scanning the page! And to Eugene for making our photo the biggest one in this feature. How vain can I get, hahaha!

so what makes an ideal wife?

My colleague asked me to ask Francis if it's okay with him to answer some questions about his take on an ideal wife. Francis said he's just fine with it. So when he checked his email a while ago, he was surprised to see just one question: What makes a good wife?

His (not serious) answer, which he said out loud?

"Maliit, maingay, mahilig maglaro ng computer games, late matulog, matigas ulo, mahina kumain, minamasahe ako."

(Small, noisy, likes to play computer games, late sleeper, stubborn, picky eater, gives me massages.)

Hahahahahah!

my husband made me cry last night...

...But it's not because we fought or anything like that. It's like this.

You see lately, I've been thinking about selling my Canon Powershot A620 to get myself some brand new P&S camera. Beren, my Powershot, has served me well and has witnessed my beginnings as a novice photographer (not that I'm a pro now). It's not just a Point-and-shoot cam; it's actually a prosumer camera that has manual settings. Beren was there to replace my very crappy Olympus camera (my first digital cam), and he was also there to witness how I first tinkered with aperture and exposure settings. In other words, Beren is sentimental to me. And much as I hate to sell him, I can already feel the need to, especially because I already have Ken'ichi, my 400D DSLR. I just need a simple P&S for blogging and snapshots purposes (but one that already has a higher resolution and can produce better image quality). I'm just hoping that someone I know would buy it from me so I can still get to see Beren every once in a while, see how he is (and how his new owner is treating him. haha!)

Since Francis knows how sentimental I can get--and how annoying I can be just wondering out loud how Beren is in the hands of his new BFF--he thought of a very bright, über sweet idea: he'd just buy it from me to spare me from missing and worrying about my cam. That way, he gets to have his own camera (as if mine is not conjugal!) and he won't have to hear me whining. Hahah! But seriously, his idea made me so happy and I was so touched I couldn't help but cry!

I super thank God for giving me such a sweet and thoughtful husband that's beyond what I imagined...

P.S.
But Francis is still not thrilled about my plans to buy an iTouch. I guess I'd have to put that off. Haha!

japanese cravings

No, I won't be talking about my Japanese boy crush, Ken'ichi Matsuyama. Haha!

This is about a yummy biscuit that Francis brought home from their office. Whenever a Japanese colleague comes back from Japan, there'd always be some Japanese goodies. Good thing Francis grabbed 2 packs of these, now I'm craving for it (the half-moon shaped biscuit is goooood!)

Can someone tell me what they're called and if they're locally available? Puh-leeez!

this ain't happening to me...

The other week at the office, a colleague came up to me and she seemed to have an urgent matter to discuss.

O: Muther shine!!!!
Me: Yes po?
O: Mamu, may bilbil ka na!

At that very moment, sana bumuka na lang ang lupa at nilamon ako...

i just need to test this...

My other blog here on blogger is automatically cross-posted on Multiply, which I don't want happening. So let me test if the html code for not cross-posting specific entries will work. Pardon me.

extending the bounds of my musings

I am currently working on another blog that I hope to maintain religiously. It's quite different from the ones I already have. To know what I'm talking about, follow me!

http://musingsunderthesun.blogspot.com/

"so how's married life?" i am frequently asked

I'm married for almost three months now.

Surprisingly, I didn't go through that difficult adjustment phase some newly married women experience. I mean, sure, I do miss my family back in Taytay; heck, even my dogs (they're family, too!). But I never had to wake up feeling awful about how everything has suddenly changed after saying "I do". On the contrary, that waking-up-married-for-the-first-time moment was, how do I say this...beautiful. All the anxiety and fears I felt before walking down the aisle were but funny, little worries now.

But here's the "dilemma": I'm going on a 4-day, 3-night trip to Naga/CamSur this Wednesday--the longest I'll be (so far) away from my husband and our cozy home.

I never imagined married life can make me this attached to things. I worry that Francis won't be able to eat well while I'm gone. I'll miss cooking (yes, I can cook! a talent I discovered during the first week of being married). I'll miss coming home to our cozy living room which we just decorated with zen-ish ornament, complete with scent diffusers that smell of sweet strawberries. I'll miss climbing five flights of stairs. It's funny to be actng and feeling this way because I'll only be gone for just four days, but four days seem too long for me.

I have to admit that I was tempted to not go to that trip (work-related). But Francis urged me to. Perhaps I just don't want to admit, until now, that being away from this new home--this new life--is one (if not the only) of the main reasons why I refused out-of-town shoots before, which were scheduled after I became a mrs.

It's weird. I can only surmise that this new-found attachment surfaced because everything now feels new--new surroundings, new neighborhood, new home, new sofa, new dining table, new address, new route--almost everything. It's like relishing a new bag that you always want to use because it's new. But in this case, I'm hoping I'm not acting all mushy just because things around me are new. Deep inside, I wish to remain this sentimental, though of course I hope not to be too sentimental that I'd cripple myself.

Sure, maybe this is still the honeymoon phase I am experiencing; but I do hope this lasts for years because I still can't shake this awful feeling of having to be away from my new home for more than a day.

Ack! I'd really miss coming home to our place. And for three nights, there'd be no Francis to welcome me home and hug me to sleep. I hope I can survive.

going back to that happy place where we grieved

It was Sunday, 4 o’clock in the morning, and my husband and I were already awake. We had barely two hours of sleep after an evening—make that a day—of celebrating perhaps the most momentous day of our lives: our wedding.

Our flight to Bohol, where we were bound for our 4-day, 3-night honeymoon, would leave at 8am. Not wanting to be late or start our honeymoon with frazzled nerves from rushing to the airport, we arrived at the NAIA Terminal 2 at 6:15.

Because we availed of seats promo (ours was PAL’s Econolight), we didn’t have the luxury to choose our seats; consequently, we risked being seated apart. But perhaps it was because we were on our honeymoon, and we were probably that obvious that we were honeymooning (no, there was no smooching or any grave PDA), the check-in counter personnel had a big heart to fix our seats.

Hubby enjoying a cup of hot choco

With more than an hour to spare, we slumped onto Delifrance’s wicker chairs and took our time enjoying our breakfast. About 20 minutes before our scheduled flight, an announcement said that ours would be a little delayed. However, to our delight, barely 10 minutes passed when passengers bound to Tagbilaran were instructed to form one line in front of the loading entrance.

The white watch on my left arm said 8:10am. We were off to lovely Bohol, expecting to land on its humble airport before half-past 9.

***

A yummy concoction of orange juice

At two in the afternoon, we were still in bed trying to catch as much needed sleep as we can. Yes, we were aware that we just wasted half of the first day of our honeymoon not honeymooning but snoozing. We didn’t mind, really. Six months of happy stress finally took its toll on our bodies that we had to find a way to at least recharge for a few hours.

Still groggy and squinting from the early afternoon sun’s glare, we made our way to Amorita Resort’s restaurant pride, Saffron. Their website did not lie. The restaurant is indeed a perfect place to fulfill one’s gastronomic cravings while giving one’s senses the treat they deserve.

Fronting the open resto is the idyllic infinity pool. A dip or some laps really does rejuvenate the body, what with a breath-taking view of the Panglao beach just in front of your eyes—pristine, clear blue-green waters very slowly rushing to meet the powdery shore. The high tide in the morning makes for a refreshing, cool dip; while the afternoon’s low tide calls for guests to wade in the semi-exposed shoreline. And that was just what we did after our late lunch.

Taking in the late afternoon heat, my husband and I strolled along the beach, unmindful of the many Europeans who were basking on their mats, hoping to get the tan they so covet. Surprisingly, that time of the year, there wasn’t much Asian guests in Panglao, mostly Caucasians, a handful of Koreans and few of our kababayans. When I was last in Bohol, Koreans were everywhere.

***

Dinner was served a bit late than we expected. We didn’t really mind. Amorita’s staff have been very polite and accommodating from the first hour we arrived, so it was somehow snobbish to complain. Edward, one of Saffron’s attendants, was kind enough to talk us up while we were waiting for our free dinner (the package we availed includes one). Unfortunately for Francis, he was served the same food he ordered for lunch—mahi-mahi fillet with almond. His consolation? Turones de Bohol for dessert. I had to agree with him—it was de-li-cious!

***

At about 11:30 in the evening, my phone registered a missed call from my sister-in-law, Sugar. I didn’t have time to call her back when my phone rang again. On the other line was Sugar, her words I could barely make out. All I understood was that she wanted to speak to her kuya. Right then and there, I understood what was happening, what had happened.

Mommy Susie had passed away. After almost two years of battling with breast cancer, which eventually metastasized to her bones and brain, her body became too weak to fight some more. For us, the timing of her demise was touching. It was as if she just waited for her beloved son and I to get married. In fact, after the previous day’s reception, we headed straight to Novaliches to visit her and say hello, and of course, to show her that we have finally tied the knot. It was sad enough not to see her with us on our precious day, but we’d rather that she stay in bed to rest. That night was my first time to see her so weak. A week ago, she was still able to utter comprehensible words. That night, she can barely whisper. But we were all happy, including Daddy Edwin who begged off from attending our wedding so he can be by his wife’s side in case of emergency. We didn’t really realize that it was already her last day. But yes, if we were to believe (and we did) that she just waited for us to get married and be done with that day’s festivities, then we are definitely grateful to her. We know Mommy Susie tried so hard to fend off that dark cloud, perhaps pleading to give her a few more hours until after her son and her daughter-in-law walked down the aisle, before she succumbed.

Francis and I thought of cutting our honeymoon short. We even thought of canceling the next day’s dolphin watching trip to give us more time to grieve, but we were told that that would incur us a 50 to 100 percent cancellation fee. So we just decided to go through with it.

***

Kuya Gilbert says "hello"

Kuya Cris on the lookout for dolphins

Kuya Cris and Kuya Gilbert made sure we had our electronic gadgets locked safely in a small, yellow Pelican brief case provided by Bohol Aquatic Adventures, Amorita’s own dive shop. The sun had barely said good morning to that side of the planet as we waded our way to the small rigger boat that would then bring us to a bigger banca. It was a glorious morning, yet we let last night’s news dampen our spirits. We felt it wasn’t right to feel so giddy and absolutely happy when back in Manila, the funeral for Mommy Susie was being arranged. Still, it was a glorious morning; and despite not spotting any dolphins (all bancas who set sail to dolphin watch were unfortunate not to see any), the two hours at sea had been a refreshing break for us newly married.

Filipino food + cereals = perfect morning

We got back to the resort in time for our buffet breakfast. Aside from the dolphin watching included in the honeymoon package we availed of, as well as the sunset cruise scheduled late in the afternoon of the same day, we were also happy to have a daily buffet breakfast. In between mouthfuls of rice, Francis got busy with calls to and from Sugar, fixing whatever needs to be fixed for the funeral.

***

The sunset cruise boys

At 5:30 pm, just before the sun set low in the horizon, we were off to the same rigger boat that took us dolphin watching that morning. It was still Kuya Cris who accompanied us, together with Alfred, our “personal butler” who brought along a free bottle of white wine, two flute glasses and a bucket of ice, and the boats “driver” (unfortunately, we failed to commit his name to memory). About 150 feet or so from the shoreline, our kuya boatman killed the boat’s engine as Alfred politely poured some sparkling wine into our glasses. I’m not really a fan of alcoholic drinks, nor is Francis, but a refreshing glass of wine was a warm welcome to us. We silently watched the sky break into many different colors that kept on changing every few minutes. That was also the moment we let each other know how we’ll miss Mommy Susie. We know she’s already in a safer and painless place, yet I can’t help but feel cheated—I was so looking forward to having her as my mother-in-law, now made official. My mom, whom she considers her best friend ever since we formally introduced the two of them, felt the same. My mother had been so excited when Mommy Susie finally retired from working, because they had an agreement that they’d travel together. I bet my mom felt the same way we did when I broke the sad news to her. And it was in those times when I heard my own mom utter words of shock that I wish it were all a bad dream.

***

A few weeks back, I told a colleague friend how I felt about all that was happening just before Francis and I got married. I was surprised at my own honesty, but I was confident that since the person I was talking to is also about to get married, I instinctively knew she’d understand how I was feeling at that time. I remember telling her over late lunch how I was so afraid—afraid of what might happen to my mom-in-law. It was just a matter of time before Mommy Susie’s body gives up. The doctors already stated that fact—that we be prepared for the worst. Radiotherapy’s goal is to just extend a cancer patient’s life, not save her. I was so afraid, I told my colleague, that I’d have to see my husband be torn with happiness and grief—regardless of whether that would happen before or after we got married. It was somehow selfish of me to be afraid, to not want to see him suffer. Moreso, I felt guilty for feeling so weak during the time when Francis needed me to be strong for him. All that was left was to pray and hope for a miracle.

Yet even if that miracle didn’t happen, Mommy Susie’s demise gave us something we never expected. The bond between me and Francis got stronger, and so has the bond between him and his sister.

***

The whole of Tuesday was spent traveling around Bohol, uncovering its many historical and natural wonders. Since we didn’t avail of the package that includes such trip, we just rented an Altis to get us around the province. Good thing it was the same car and driver that had fetched us from the airport when we arrived two days ago. Though our driver, Sherwin, is not the type who’s generous with words, he had been kind enough to let us into a handful of tidbits about the places we visited.

At the Chocolate Hills viewing deck. Not so sunny that day

Which is the tarsier? Be my guest to guess. Haha!

The Blood Compact site was the first stop; next was the Baclayon museum and church, the second oldest church in the country. Then it was off to the magnificent Chocolate Hills. The dull weather didn’t allow for postcard-perfect pictures with the well-formed hills as background, but seeing that natural wonder (first time for Francis and second for me) still never failed to make the 30-minute stopover unforgettable.

Our cruise faring Loboc River

Lunch at the Loboc River aboard a cruise was next on the itinerary. For only 300 pesos per head, we got to have a buffet Pinoy lunch and a one-hour ride on Loboc River. Our cruise was composed of a fair mixture of Pinoy and Korean tourists, with two or three Caucasians who also shared in the fun.

Entertainment care of the locals

The more entertaining part was the 15-minute stopover on the way back to the dock, when us tourists got to mingle with the locals to enjoy their music and dance. With a rondalla ensemble, the locals entertained us with their rendition of OPM songs as well as tunes in the vernacular. There was also a tinikling showdown, where tourists tried their luck in the folkdance while hopping in between two hitting bamboo poles. We then had a short side trip to one of two certified tarsier "houses". Those small primates never fail to let the giggle out of me.

After the cruise, Sherwin proudly drove us to where Prony is housed. Prony is arguably the largest python in captivity. Just how big is it? Together with some fast facts tacked on a bulletin board greeting visitors is a picture of the huge python taken a few years back, happily feeding on a whole piglet. Yes, a whole piglet!

Of course, an out-of-town trip is never complete without a jaunt to the nearest pasalubong haven, so it was off to pasalubong hoarding after we said goodbye to Prony.

After about two hours of spending money, it was back to the resort.

We capped off the night with what's left of the white wine from the sunset cruise. We decided to linger a little while near the infinity pool, beside a tree well-lit by yellow lights. It was a relatively quiet evening spent with us being silent, with just the canopy of tiny lights above our heads.

***

Our last day at Amorita started with another heartwarming eat-all-you-can breakfast. We then rested for a while before heading off to the beach to take a swim (or a dip, if it’s more fitting). The water was cool, and the sand so divinely fine it can give Boracay a run for its revenue. No kidding.

The spectacular sea view from Amorita

Once we got tired of the beach, it was time to take a dip into the infinity pool. We first had our romance with Amorita’s popular pool on our first day, and that was late in the afternoon. The view was spectacular. But this time around, with the sun almost at its zenith, the view changed—it was more spectacular, as if we were seeing the beach for the first time or from different pairs of eyes. The sunny sky, with a scattering of fluffy cotton clouds, provided a perfect backdrop for the two-toned sea. It’s as if we were in a little pocket of the Caribbean. Glorious. Magnificent. Perfect.

***

The good thing about Panglao beach is that guests are not tied down to eating meals exclusively at the resort they’re booked in. Wanting to taste a variety of foods, not to mention being practical (some dishes at the Saffron Resto are pricey for their taste), we again scouted the many other resorts lined up at the beach front for a good last lunch.

After a serving of sizzling squid, a platter of sweet and sour prawns, and two glasses of chocolate shake, Francis and I headed back to our resort. Realizing I had no souvenir buy for myself, I immediately grabbed a pretty woven bag big enough to carry the rest of our pasalubongs. It’s also a nice native bag for overnight trips.

***

For the past three days of our stay, the sea was calm; but during our last day, Nature decided to change her mind and made the sea throw waves at the shoreline. On our way back to Amorita, we heard the locals remark on how turbulent the waters were that day. We can only assume that it was something unusual for the usually calm sea. Somehow, it was a relief that the sea decided to become unfriendly during our last day.

On the ride to Tagbilaran airport, I silently reflected on how refreshing and blessed our honeymoon was, despite knowing a loved one just passed away. At the same time, I realized that maybe, just maybe, the whole trip had been a happy one because Mommy Susie wanted us to be just that—happy.

And we know that she is, too.

twilight zone

Last Saturday, just before we went hunting for twigs, Francis kind of decided already that we're to eat in CASAA. Since he looked so bent on it, I didn't disagree.

While we were deciding on what other food to buy because the pasta we ordered didn't fill us up:

Me: Meron dun na lengua. P50 lang!
Francis: P50?!?! Ang mahal naman!
Me: Huh? Mahal? Hindi ka na kaya student. You're already working, hello?!
Francis: (pouts and looks embarassed of what he just said)

So cute. Hahaha!

hunting day

Yesterday was another busy day for me and Francis. First on the list was to hand over our invitation to our ninong Omar, my mom's super nice boss. It's been years since I last saw him and his family, and it was really surprising to see how grown up their kids are now. Made me realize I'm old. Ew.

Next was a trip to my former workplace, Vibal, to claim a long overdue raket check. Unfortunately, their accounting can't find that precious piece of paper so I resolved to just leave an authorization to a friend who works there and proceed to UP, where Francis and I, together with my sister and her beau, would hunt for twigs.

Yes, twigs. Instyle Weddings has this whimsical idea on place cards with the use of twigs. And since we're having a garden wedding, I found the idea perfect. Little did I know the actual work of gathering twigs is so tedious and tiresome. (As of this moment, we already had three trips to UP just for that. Good thing we already have more than enough number of twigs to clean and varnish.)

Next stop was at The Banquet to pay for the sound system we're renting. I've also decided to source my entourage flowers from them. The group is just soooo nice we can't help but be amazed. We're also renting the bridal car from them. At first, we thought it must be part of their selling strategy--being nice and very accommodating. But thinking we're only making use of some--not all--of their services for them to bother selling themselves to us, we then knew they were genuinely nice. Bombet, one of the coordinators, even helped us find a hotel where we'd stay the night before the big day. Because the hotel we were eyeing--Seameo and Sulo--are already fully booked, Bombet recommended that we try Rembrandt and Imperial on Tomas Morato. Since Rembrandt only has one (relatively) affordable room available, we went straight there to check out the room. After the 5-minute tour, it was a go for me, so we had it reserved. Then we were off to Imperial. Their rooms are A-okay, so Francis also had one reserved (though he's still on a lookout for a cheaper one).

And then the most exciting part of the busy day's work: claiming our wedding bands. At past 8pm, we were already at Suarez in Gateway anxiously waiting to fit our rings. Once the attendant carefully placed the beige box before us, Francis and I did not waste any moment trying the lovely bands on. They were a perfect fit I can't help but want to just keep mine on! But of course I can't. I had to remind myself that it's only a matter of weeks before I get to keep that ring on my finger. We have decided (well, it's more like I charmed Francis into deciding) to get a white gold pair in a simple yet elegant design, but a pair that's out of the ordinary ones usually seen in catalogues.

Haaay. Moments like these really make me all the more excited for our big day. And for a bride like me, there's nothing more heartwarming than hearing my groom whisper how overly excited he is, too--with matching (manly) kilig.

a great lesson learned: saying goodbye to 2008

Last year, my first blog entry was about how Francis proposed to me in Baguio. Seems like a very good way to start off 2008. And now looking back to the year that just waved goodbye, I can say that yes, it was a pretty good year for me--perhaps not that fab--but good enough for me to say there are no regrets.

Of course, there have been ups and downs, but generally, 2008 fared better than other years. For one, the year was busy with wedding preparations--how can that be not exciting, right? Then, there were those many work-related out-of-town trips that really made me realize how I want to travel more and appreciate how beautiful this country is, how fun it is to immerse oneself in a different environment even just for a day or two (that Benguet trip was the best of it all). These trips also allowed me to have my photos published--to my delight.

But perhaps the best experience that 2008 gave me happened during my OB trip to Albay. It has been a great lesson taught to me by God: I need to wait it out some more, and that good enough is never good enough. It was a lesson well-learned that I had this desire to share it to other people, and I thank the Lord for giving me that opportunity when I was asked to testify during our Thanksgiving Sunday at church last November.

I was so close to finally reaching my dream of writing--just writing. I mean, sure, my present job gives me the opportunity to write with byline; it's just that it was never part of my job description per se. It just so happened that I get to write as a side job (being in a magazine publishing industry and all; which reminds me, this year brought in a lot of writing stints on the side!), but writing with byline is never part of the deal with what I'm doing right now in our department (we're sort of an in-house ad agency). So when that dream opportunity came knocking at my door, I grabbed it without really thinking. And just when I was that close to finally getting it, I had to turn my back not because I want to but because I just had to. Some people, like I said in my entry before, may not understand why I did it, why I turned my back to it. But in the bigger scheme of things, I know that if I took it, if I took the easy road and said yes, in the end I would've regretted it. I had to turn my back because there are certain things I can't compromise. It was hard. It was shattering. It was that one point when I questioned God why He should make me wait some more as if the waiting I'd done wasn't enough. Why wasn't this His will? I could've just ignored that small voice and just went in for the big thing, but the voice, albeit tiny, was loud enough for me not to ignore. Apparently, the decision I made didn't come with immediate peace.

But now, looking back, I know I've already made my peace with that decision. God didn't took so long to give me the calm I asked for after He said "no" to me. And until now, when I go through what happened in my head, I am so happy to say that I did make the right decision. There are still times when I ask myself where I would be right now had I decided otherwise--I could perhaps be doing what I've always wanted to do, but I know I won't feel the peace I have now.

Indeed, there are no regrets for 2008. And I look forward to a brand new year as I saunter into a brand new chapter of my life: that of being a Mademoiselle Funa.