Okay.. so its an hour before my birthday when I started writing this. Anyway, since I already wrote my birthday acknowledgement speech, what should be the theme of my birthday entry? Thanks to Gen, she asked me earlier what is the memorable birthday that I had.
It seems that I don't really have a birthday that stood out among the rest. But here are some of the things that happened to me on my previous birthdays (which I remember)
- Aug 30 was declared as a holiday in Bulacan to celebrate our provincial day. Usually, we don't have classes, so I usually stayed at home.
- On my 12th bday, I took the first NEAT exam. This is the first time that I took a national exam. I was quite unsure if I should had looked forward or had dreaded that day.
- Usually, my dormmates and I have a ritual that at 12 midnight, we will light a candle and sing Happy Birthday to the celebrant. I was sung by my dormmates for 3 years :D
- On my 18th birthday, I attended my dormmate's debut party and we had a sleepover at the hotel (so parang nag debut na rin ako pero hindi ako ang celebrant hehehe)
- On my 22nd birthday, I was diagnosed with acute bronchitis and was confined at St Luke's. I celebrated my birthday in the hospital. Good thing that my relatives, college barkada, Debbie, Janjan and Arnel visited me.
- On my 23rd birthday, I was depressed. It was sad that my colleagues whom I get to spend most of my time with, I didn't feel that I was special (maybe I expected too much from them). I was quite disappointed and I almost went home in Bulacan so that I could get a chance to spend it with my family. Good thing that I didn't because my housemates then (Mavic, Lee and Annrhee) gave me a surprise. I realized that the best gift that I received that day was finding out who are the people that I can rely on.
- On my 25th birthday, I celebrated my first birthday outside the country. Just in time, our company is celebrating its independence day and we had a contest that's similar to Project Runway. Since it was my birthday, I was chosen as the model. I guess you know what happened ;)
Anyway, a very common question for birthday celebrants is about their wish. So how should I answer that - world peace? Nah.. Actually, I have a confession to make. Last year, I didn't have a birthday wish. I didn't ask for anything. I told myself that if I make a wish, I would end up expecting. On my 25th birthday, I was contented with what I had and that I could nto ask for more. And I asked God to just give me what he thinks should be the best gift for me. When I look back on my 25th year, I would say that I had a blast and I felt truly blessed. I may have my ups and downs but I knew that I became a better person.
So what's gonna be my wish on my 26th birthday? Well, I won't tell for now.. I'll just let you know what happens to me next year ;)
My birthday will be just in a couple of days, and I would like to make this an opportunity to thank all the special people who made my life meaningful.
My parents - Thank you for all the love and understanding that you've given me. Also, thank you for raising me up this way. Now that I'm an adult, I wanted to assure you that I always bear in mind all the values that you've taught me.
My relatives - Thank you for letting me feel how fun it is to have a big family once in a while. Thanks to my aunts, uncles and elder cousins for all your advises and for making me feel that I can rely on you no matter what happens. Since I am an only child, it through my cousins where I felt what it's like to have brothers and sisters. Thank you for making me feel that way.
Ate Elena & Annie Ignacio - thank you for taking care of me. I may not say this but I'm really grateful with the love that you've shown me.
My childhood best friends, Rizza Alaba and Anne Tuico - My first taste of real friendship. We were inseperable when we were kids but as we grew up, we have to part our ways. But I'm very thankful for the great childhood memories that I shared with you.
My other childhood friends Rachelle Farinas, Vanessa Farinas & Julie Ann Eseller - Thanks for the good memories. I remember all the games that we used to play and the kulitan that we had.
My HS best friend, Sharon Tayamen-Calapati - thanks for listening and understanding me in those difficult times. You know how tough it is being an adolescent and I thank you for sticking with me.
My HS barkada Lily Ann Dayta, Celia Bitas, Jemalee Mangrobang, Jenny Sabiano, Ivy Baldonado, Jeani Guarnes, Wednesday Carmelino, Roselle Aguilar & Jeanne Laguitao - thanks for keeping my sanity during my HS days. It is through you that I learned to be proud of who I am and not bothering what other people think.
My college barkada (Parokya ni Eva) Eva Egmilan, Jaymee de Guzman, Sunshine Cabatian, Jennifer Maglalang, Ulysses Dy, Kristin Garcia, Abie Espinosa-Alegre, Lexie Lane Racelis, Erika Claravall, Jenny Jane Siscar, Paul Dungca & Michael Olea - I had a blast with you and college won't be so much fun without you guys. You allowed me to become the person that I can be (well I guess pare-pareho lang tayo hehe). I'm so glad that we can still meet once in a while and I'm so lucky to have all of you as my friends
My blockmates at 4B Math 2002 - I didn't enjoy my HS life and I thought that I will still be treated as an outcast in college. Thank you for accepting my eccentricities and respecting me for who I am. It is through you that I learned how to trust people once again.
My SHLD dormmates Ruby Cacatian, Debbie Ramos, Kristina Ramos, Divina Ramos, Amihan Doctor, Nina Rizza Hernandez, Charo Manahan, Joseca Alincastre - Thanks for all the great college memories. It is through you that I felt what its like to have sisters and my first taste of independence. I've considered my friendship with you gals as one that I could treasure for the rest of my life. I love you all.
My teachers - thanks for inspiring me and preparing me to the real world.
My ADU batchmates Arnel Agbay, Paul Dy & Nina Marie Hernandez - Due to our batch's diverse personalities, I'm still thankful that I was able to find a niche in you. Also, thank you for keeping my sanity in my first experience in the corporate world. It was through you that I learned that I can still find genuine friends at work.
Cycling team (you know who you are =P) - My first team in Accenture; for the patience in teaching me as I struggle to learn things, for mentoring me in my career and for allowing me to share my knowledge as well.
Arnel Agbay - for being one hell of a friend. Thank you for showing me how I should live my life and for being a good listener. I really admire your courage. I know that you're very happy wherever you are and I know that you're just around. I miss you.
My onshore friends Hazel Ortiz, Margret Ortega, Ramon Lopez, Jansen Flores, Candy Sera Jose, Vench Garcia - you are my family during my second taste of independence. You're my family away from home. Thanks for the great memories - the road trips, the tambayan, the shopping. I don't think I would enjoy my onshore experience without you.
Myla Saret, Gilbert Sococ, Hazel Ortiz, Margret Ortega & Paul Dy - Inspite of the fact that we've parted ways, I'm still thankful that I can still turn to you. Thanks for all your stories and advices.
My Makati housemates Marivic Sevilla, Lee Vega & Annrhee Ong - although we've been together for just 8 months, I felt your warmth during my stay in our apartment. I was really touched when you surprised me on my 24th birthday (I was really depressed way back then). It was sad though that we had to part ways when I could have known you more.
Bells and Balls (you know who you are) - One of my dreams is to be a part of a choir that I'm truly proud of. In a span of almost a month, we were able to serenade the whole Accenture community and my wish came true.
My 1302B housemates Marison Rodriguez & Agripina Banigoos - I'm so thankful that you're my housemates. Thank you for the understanding, for the conversations and for your friendship. I know that I can always rely on you. You're my family away from home.
My students at FWRC - Thank you for allowing me to share my knowledge with you. It's been a humbling experience for me to teach you.
The morning rushers Gen Carlos & Dru Ballesteros - For all the amusing conversations that we have everyday. Its nice to know you and for allowing me to become myself when I'm with you.
My girl friends Minnie Sabilala & Gen Carlos - It was through once again that I felt a genuine friendship, the last time that I felt this was when I was in the dormitory. It was through you that I didn't feel that I'm away from home.
My Big Chill buddies Ryan Arguillo & Rey Palacios - It is through you that I was able to prove that friendship knows no boundaries. I don't need to elaborate how glad I am to have you as my friends, I think you already know it =)
To Logan - wherever you are, I wanted to thank you for making me realize of the things that I'm capable of doing. Thanks for the good memories and for allowing me to know myself more. (To my friends who's reading this, I would like to request if you can refrain from asking me about this, as this is one of the things I'd rather keep to myself).
The Malaysians are currently celebrating their 50th year of Independence. In lieu with this, our company held some activities. Last year, there was a project runway challenge where I was picked by my team mates as their model (Imagine all the vegetables that I have to wear). Anyway, I am no longer the model (stepping stone ko lang yun), I am now a diva (bwahaha!!!).
As part of the program, the Scope Idol finalists were asked to sing for the celebration. I was supposed to sing the song Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the waves but since I've been sleepless and stressed during these past few days, my voice didn't come right when I sang that song. So I opted for the song that I'm most comfortable with - Angel. Well, this is the song that I'm most comfortable to sing and it would be a mortal sin to sing a song in public without practicing it.
An hour before the celebration, we had our sound check. I was the last one to do the sound check and it was a few minutes before the actual program started. People were starting to come to the lobby where a stage has been setup. When it was my turn to do the sound check, it hasn't sink in to me that I would be heard in the whole floor. Maybe its because I was in my comfort zone. As I started to sing, I realized that people are listening to me. But weird as it may seem, I didn't get nervous. I sang the song the way how I do it during our videoke sessions. I was glad that finally, I'm beginning to feel comfortable in singing in public :)
After our performance, we were presented with a token of appreciation for joining the contest. And guess what? It's WAY BIGGER from the prize that I won from the Scope Idol itself. Just in time for my upcoming birthday.
Anyway, I'll just let you see the video of my performance. I hope you'll like it =)
While all of us still had a hangover from the Scope Idol grand finals, it is sad to say that Minnie had to return to Manila for good to be with here son, Kyle. She got a job offer from our previous company which I think is a very good opportunity.
We had a couple of activities with her a few weeks before she left - the last night out with her as a Malaysian resident at the Loft, Skybar and Thai Beach Club, trip to Putrajaya with Gen and I, the farewell dinner hosted by their house owner and the surprise farewell dinner at CPK with people dearest to her. To conclude this, we all went to the airport to make her feel how she's important to us.
Minnie, Jeng, Charisse and Gen had dinner at Picadilly (the so-called last supper). After that, Dru and I met them at the Asia Jaya station. We all headed to KL Sentral, where the bus going to the LCCT airport are located. This is also where we met Rey and Marla (who's going to the Philippines for a vacation).
The trip from KL Sentral to LCCT was a long one but I didn't mind at all since I was chatting with Marla while Gen and Minnie were cooking up their story (Crispy Popia). When we arrived at the airport, we just spent most of the time picture taking, eating (thanks for the treat Minnie), laughing and goofing around. Earlier that day, we were wondering who are the people who's going to cry that night - no one did. As Minnie headed to the immigration for her final steps as a Malaysian resident, there was a moment of silence. It was a genuine feeling. Perhaps each one of us was saying a little prayer how thankful we were to have her in our life and to wish her good luck with the new phase in her life.
Minnie, I know that this is a very difficult choice for you but I believe that you did the right thing for your son. I hope that I have touched your life as much as you did to me. Even though we've been friends for just a year, I felt that the friendship that we have is one that I could really treasure for the rest of my life. I will definitely miss all the little things that you do - from going to my cube to take a breather from a stressful day at work to our serious talks. I'd like to thank you for entrusting me with your secrets and I promise you that I will remain as a trustworthy friend.
During your farewell party, you asked us how you made an impact in our lives. I was not able to tell you this that time but you're one of the people who made me feel good about myself and helped me accept how beautiful I am as a person. As a result, I became confident - not only with my physical appearance but in doing the things that I've been longing to do. It may seem just a kakikayan for others but how you boosted my self-esteem made a difference.
Anyway, if you're going to ask me if the tears that you're asking from me while writing this entry came out.. well I almost cried. But that doesn't mean that you're not that special to me. I met a lot of people who made an impact in my life just the way you did, and sadly, we have to part ways. This is the reason why I don't really get too attached with them and why I don't have a best friend.
Good luck my friend. I know that wherever you go, our friendship will never be thwarted by distance. I know that someday our paths will cross again.
Let me end this entry with this quote by Richard Bach - Don't be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetime, is certain for those who are friends
As most of you guys know, I love to sing. I always sing in the shower, while walking, working, depending on my mood. I used to join singing contests when I was a child but I always get lost and for a child, I found it to be traumatic. I think somehow I've considered it as one of my childhood issues that I'm still dealing with. I had a fear of joining singing contests and fear of performing onstage. I hate the feeling of being subjected to other people's judgement or worse, ridicule (see? this just shows how scared I am).
Inspite of all these fears, I still told myself that as an adult, I will join a singing contest. In fact, I included this in the list of the things that I would before I reach 30. Even if I don't win, I know that the experience is something that's worth it.
The audition
So when our company conducted their annual singing contest, I registered for the competition. For the first audition, we were required to sing in acapella. I planned to sing Sweet Love by Anita Baker but unfortunately, I was in the Philippines when the audition was conducted. I told myself that maybe its not yet the right time for me. However, on the day of the semi final round, I asked Zairul (the representative of the committee in our project) if I can still join the competition. He asked the organizers and told me that I can join but I should not mention that I was not able to join the preliminary auditions.
Since the audition is just a few hours away and barely had time to practice, I just picked the song that I'm most comfortable with - Fallin from They're Playing our Song musical. Good thing that my lead, Lya allowed me to leave early for the audition =)
The venue of the audition is 30 minutes away from our office. The other semi-finalists, Minnie, Tza, Emma and Mark all left at 4:30 PM but we managed to find a cab that brought us to TPM after 30 minutes because the place is quite far. I did what Zairul told me to do - I told the organizers that I was not able to audition during the preliminaries and they allowed me to sing but I never said to the judges that I had an exempted case.
I was the 5th semi-finalist who sang in the contest. To my surprise, the judges were not familiar with the song, and I noticed that they kept on looking at the lyrics displayed in the television while I sing. After I sang the song, the 5 judges made their comments. Most of them are not familiar with the song but they enjoyed it. I can't deny that there was a smile in my face after I sang.
After the audition, I didn't even think about the contest at all (parang wala lang). As much as I wanted to sing though, I'm not really expecting about this contest, whether I make to the finals or not (maybe I was just busy with my work).
The finals
One afternoon, I just came out from a meeting when Gen is trying to tell me something. She looks excited but she can't utter a word, trying to keep herself from screaming (parang natatae hahaha!!). So I went to her place and she showed me the email that I made it to the finals. There were 4 of us from ISCM (our division in the office) who made it to the finals - Jumond, Mark, Emma and I (and all of us are Filipinos as well woohoo!). Minnie popped me in Skype and told me that she appointed herself as my manager.
Anyway, now the next problem is which song to sing. I have asked my friends to help me pick a song. Stand Up for Love was a popular choice although Ryan told me that it would be very risky to do so. So I picked Time and Tide instead.
After a few days of practicing Time and Tide, I showed Minnie and Gen my performance. They thought its a difficult song to sing. I admit that I had a hard time singing that song alone (Basia had a backup when she sang it live). Minnie and Gen suggested to look for another song. Two days before the contest, we decided that I'm going to sing Angel by Sarah Mclachlan (by the way Jeng, their housemate and one of my batchmates in Accenture, was also involved in picking the song for me). They thought that it's the best song for me to sing given the amount of time that we had to prepare for the contest. By the way, not only Minnie were fans of this song, Ryan suggested me to sing it before I picked Time and Tide
Now that I picked my song, the next thing I need to worry about is what will I wear. I don't want to shed a penny for this contest, except for the transportation. So Minnie raided my closet and looked for the best dress for me to wear. They thought that the best attire that I could wear with that song is a white long dress. Unfortunately, I don't have that in my closet. So the next best thing that I got was the dress that I wore during our annual dinner. For the accessories, hair and make up, Minnie and Gen took care of it.
The big day
On the big day, V, the lead of my project gave me a task that needs to be completed by EOD. Mind you, she has a fierce and stern reputation. She's actually based in HK who came here to foresee our project, together with Michael and Alain. Anyway, Lya, my other lead, advised me to let her know that I'll be leaving early for the contest. But upon the advise of Alain, he advised me to just sneak in early because he thought that V won't allow me to leave early. Lya said that I just forward her an email on what I completed for the day and she'll just inform V that I'm not feeling well.
At 5:30 PM, I sneaked out of the office. Serina, my colleague, volunteered to do my makeup because she's a self-confessed makeup freak (hihi). We went to the farthest ladies room so that I won't get caught. Now I know how CInderella felt when she attended the ball. It was Minnie's last day at work so she left early. By 6 PM, we left Crystal Plaza (our building) and hailed a cab going to TPM where the contest will be held at the auditorium.
When we arrived, we had a sound check and I sang onstage, sort of a rehearsal for the contest. I tried to fight the fear I have onstage, and it's very obvious that I'm nervous. Well, I tried my best not be but it's a good thing that we had a rehearsal so that I know how to move onstage.
At last, the contest started. I was the 15th contestant to sing. Jumond came in late while Mark and Emma were with me during the contest. I think Mark and Emma were lucky because they were the first ones to sing at the contest. Being in the last batch of performers is not good because the I will be nervous for so long. I was the last contender to sing under the female solo category.
A few notable performances during the contest were the group who sang Give It to Me by Timbaland, Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake - I think they gave a very entertaining performance; the lady who sang Too Lost in You by Sugababes - she's confident and her song fits her nasal tone (by the way, she won the Scope Idol last year), the guy who sang It's my Life who brought back the crowd to life; the girl who sang the Chinese song Applause - even though I don't understand a word in her song, for me she has the most oustanding vocals; and Jumond, who brought the house down with his rendition of Bed of Roses by Bon Jovi.
So what happened during my turn? Well, check out the video in this page and see for yourself. I was really nervous when I sang. Of course, my performance won't be complete without the judges giving their comments. The first one said that I looked gorgeous (woohoo!) but thought I was flat in some areas. The second judge told me that he didn't enjoy the song and the shifting of the song is not good. Personally, I don't think that these judges are familiar with the song. Good thing that the third judge heard the song a few days before the contest (that's what he said). He told me that I "did very well. (I) had the highs and lows, the tone and (I) captured the emotion of the song." That made my evening.
After my performance, I went immediately to the seat where my friends were located. Yep, all my closest friends were there to support me - Minnie (my manager of course!), Gen, Dru, Rey and Agri(who went with Gigi). They told me that I gave a decent performance although its obvious that I was nervous. Nevertheless, it's not bad for a first-timer. Knowing that they liked my performance, I thought it was good enough for me even if I don't bag a trophy.
I was thinking of changing back to my office clothes after my turn but I decided to just wait until the winners were announced. The emcees announced the winners of the male solo category first and Jumond won the first prize! I was very happy because got an award for ISCM. After that, they announced the winners in the female solo category and guess what? I won the 3rd place. I can't deny the fact that I was happy because I did not expect to win at all. Just like what my friends observed, they can't help but notice how happy I was that night. The contest ended at 10:30 PM. We all headed to Midvalley Megamall to have dinner. Since we're not there just to eat, we went to Chili's where we had our celebration. Too bad Agri was not there to celebrate with us because she's on night support so she had to stay at home. Since everyone was in good mood, we had a good time laughing, eating, goofing around and posing at our newly-bought cameras. It was a fun night indeed and I thought that its one of those nights that I really enjoyed with my closest friends - simple yet intimate. Just the way I like it =) Of course, this experience won't be the same without the support of the special people who made this possible (sige na, pagbigyan nyo na ako) - Lya for allowing me to leave early and for covering me up with V; Serina for taking the pager from me that week so that I could focus on the contest and for sharing your make-up expertise; Kathleen, Ryan and Ron for the tips that you gave me; Jeng for helping out with the song and the wardrobe; and for my friends who cheered me up during the contest - Minnie for being my manager (lahat nandun na) - I know that you'll be a great stage mom for Kyle hahaha, Gen for being the assistant manager (o hayan ah hehehehe), Dru for the support (weee!!! alam kong gutom na gutom ka na that night at muntik ka nang hindi makaaalis ng maaga hehehe), Rey for your encouragement and support (kahit hindi ka taga-Scope, you still managed to watch), Agri for coming in that even though you got paged earlier that night, you still went to the contest and Mars (although you're in Shanghai at that time, I know that you'll support me when you're here).
I know that most of you would ask me what's the prize that I got being on the 3rd place. Well, I got a trophy, glory (the right to brag as what others would say) and RM 50 (believe me, mas mahal pa ang pamasahe ko papuntang TPM). But the best prize that I got was seeing how my friends supported me. Cliche as it may sound but a few minutes before I performed, I told myself that even though I go home empty-handed, as long as I don't disappoint my friends and that they're proud of me, then I'm ok. That thing somehow motivated me to give my best shot. And that my folks is priceless.
Note: I was supposed to write my own version of this story but since I still have a lot of things to write and Gen had written this article very well, I have decided to post it in this blog (with her permission of course). I hope you'll enjoy reading this :)
It came as a surprise for most of us that my housemate and close friend Minnie will be going back to the Philippines. She came back from her 2 weeks vacation with the news, “I’m leaving”. It was a shock for most of us who knew her. It was a hard decision to make but nevertheless we understood that it’s for her son, Kyle. Though we are saddened that we won’t be able to see her anymore in a few more days, we decided to give her one last surprise, an unexpected despedida. Anai and I thought that it’s the best memory we could give her. We don’t want her to remember tearful goodbyes but fun moments with her closest friends.
It was Anai who brought up the idea of giving her a surprise despedida. It would be an intimate dinner with only a few invites. We wanted it to be among us since we know Minnie is always at her best ‘behavior’ when the people around her know her crazy antics. That being the idea, Anai and I thought of the 3 important questions when it comes to planning events: When, Where, How.
When…
Since Minnie will be leaving on the 9th (I am referring to her flight), the only dates that we can squeeze this dinner in is on a weekend. Added to this is that Anai and Jeng are both on night support. We thought of having it on a Friday or a Saturday but it was also the weekend of the PC Fair. So… the perfect choice was Sunday night, Aug 5. The time we chose was around 8 pm.
Where…
Okay… for this Anai and I kinda made a bias decision to pick California Pizza Kitchen. I told Anai that I wanted to try CPK KL since many people are saying that I should. Both of us are fans of CPK in Manila and since we haven’t tried it here in Malaysia, it was the perfect choice and venue for Minnie’s surprise.
How….
This is the difficult part. How to make it into a surprise. What Anai and I did initially was to choose the list of people to invite. We wanted it to be intimate so we’re inviting only Minnie’s closest friends. We sent the email to check with them if they are available on the Sunday. Most of the people we invited agreed. Some were not able to go because of prior commitments but majority said yes.
Then we thought of a way on how we are supposed to bring Minnie in KLCC without her ever suspecting that something’s up. And the solution came from Jeng. She suggested that we let Paul invite Minnie. (Btw, we’ve been teasing Paul and Minnie for ages… you get the picture?). With that in mind, Anai asked Paul if he can ask Minnie out to dinner on Sunday night. This is the perfect surprise since Minnie won’t have any clue that Paul is in cohorts with us.
The planning started on a Monday. By Wednesday, Paul still hasn’t invited Minnie yet. We are not worried though since we still have ample time before Sunday. Unfortunately, that night, the owners of our condo unit informed Minnie that they want to give her a despedida on Friday night. They will be the one to shoulder the food. They even suggested to just buy some pizza, KFC and a couple of beers. Minnie had no choice but to agree. So she invited some friends from work (the same group of people that we also invited for CPK). A lot of them got confused that this is the same party, we had to send out another email that this is different from Sunday.
Friday, Paul still has not asked Minnie out. By this time, Anai and I are already thinking of Plan B. But we’re still not losing hope that Paul would be our knight in shining armor. What we did was I asked the help of my ‘itay’ Onin (Paul’s friend) to give Paul a little nudge. And true to his word, Onin helped us out by telling Paul to hurry it up and ask Minnie out. He even said that Anai’s already frustrated with him. Obviously the little push worked because the message that Anai and I were both waiting for finally came around 3:04 PM: I HAVE A DATE!
So we’re all set for Sunday night. Unfortunately, come Sunday it was I who had a problem. I stayed at home for the rest of the afternoon hoping to get some shut eye before our big surprise. But Minnie had other plans for me. She wanted me to watch Silent Hill on DVD instead of taking a nap. (darn woman! she didn’t want me to sleep because she’d have no one to talk to) After the movie, I had to cook our lunch the following day. Then by 5 PM, Anai was already sending me text messages that we’ll be meeting at Asia Jaya at around 6:30. But I can’t make a single move because I can’t think of any excuse that will not make Minnie suspect anything.
By 6 PM, I made some feable excuse that I’m going to meet up with Anai and that we’d go to Midvalley. I took a shower, got dressed and I put on my contact lens, which I don’t usually use during the weekends (Minnie should have noticed this… thank God she didn’t. haha!) I got out of my room and found Minnie in the living room wearing white shorts. I should’ve panicked since I wanted her to wear something nice for the occasion. Good thing though the blouse that she was wearing was a little sexy so it would do.
The BIG problem came when she said that she’ll be leaving with me to go to Asia Jaya station because Anai and I will be meeting there. (Btw, KLCC is a 30 min train ride from Asia Jaya Station) I panicked so I texted Anai that Minnie will be coming with me. Anai called me up and I told her that I’ll just wait at the taxi stand. After Minnie and I parted at the corner before the station, Anai came carrying Rey’s Karavision. Haha! Now there’s our excuse! Our plan now was to tell Minnie, who by now is waiting at the platform, that we are going to KL Sentral to meet up with Rey. Good thing too that Paul hasn’t arrived yet by the time the next train arrived. Once the train doors opened, off we go to KLCC. And mind you, this is the only time we were able to breathe easily.
By 9 PM, all of the invited guests showed up and we were all just waiting for Paul and Minnie to arrive. When they came walking through the side corridor, it was funny because Minnie didn’t see us at all. She was really shocked that we cooked up a surprise for her. And that all her close friends were there. The night turned out as we expected it to be: full of laughs, very intimate, a little drama, lots of revelations… but overall… a night never to be forgotten. Just like Minnie’s birthday bash, this surprise was well worth the effort that Anai, Jeng and I put in. To see Minnie with a big smile on her face that night and the day after, was enough to remind us that she’ll be leaving us with full of good memories.
Yes, I've been working in Malaysia for a year now. Time flies so fast indeed. I want to look back at the things that happened to me for the past year which I think has been a blessing for me inspite of the good and bad things.
I have my first taste of independence here in Malaysia. Yes, even though I stayed in a dormitory during my college days and had been in an onshore assignment for 6 months in the US, I was dependent during that time from my parents and my former company. This time, I am finally on my own. I had to find my own place and have to pay my own bills. I was caught in situations that required me to make my own decisions. This is the time where I felt that I am an adult.
Career wise, working here exposed me to a totally different culture. I was used in working in an environment that adapted the American culture - professional, encouraging, results driven and organized. I was advised by Hazel not to expect much when it comes to work. Good thing that I listened to her. My current workplace is not as organized as my previous job and I realized how important the process is. Also the work culture is different because initiative is very important.
It was also here that I was exposed to real situations that every OFW deals with - homesickness, long distance relationship dilemmas and the reason why most of the people are willing to be away just to bring food on their table.
The best thing about working here are meeting people whom I've considered my family away from home. It's been a long time since I felt being this close to my friends. I feel so blessed to have them in this journey. They've guided me to become the person who I am right now - lighter (hindi sa akin galing yan hahaha!!), fun-loving, independent, sensitive, more responsible, feminine and confident.
Also, I have the motivation to do the things that I've been longing to do - teaching, writing, playing my favorite sports and singing. Doing my passions help me determine (although not totally) what I wanted to do with my life. It was only being here that I started to think what my purpose is.
It seems that 1 year just passed briefly but this is not yet the end of the journey. I know I still have a long way to go. But a lot of things happened and I hope that I will continue to change for good. I don't have any concrete plans as of now but I know that I eventually realize where I should go. Anyway, in the meantime, I'll just enjoy life to the fullest =)
On the second week of July, I finally had my 10-day long vacation to the Philippines. I had to complete my tasks that's why a few days before my flight, I had to stay up late. Anyway, since I would be on vacation for more than a week, I had to complete my task. On the night before my flight to the Philippines, I had to go home at midnight. I need to do my final packing and my flight is on 7:20 AM so I need to leave the house by 4 AM. Thus, I decided not to sleep that night.
That morning, my head was aching due to lack of sleep so I slept at the plane. But what the heck, I'll be home after 7 months of working as an OFW in Malaysia. I may not be showy about it but I'm excited.. first of all, my family would be there, I got to meet my friends whom I haven't seen in a year, I would get to shop for cheaper clothes, I can play with my pets :P, I can converse with anyone in Tagalog, I can eat all the food that want, and many more reasons :)
After 10 hours of travelling, my parents met me at the bus terminal. I was so hungry at that time so we went to Jollibee where I had a chickenjoy and mango pie (yum!). My mother paid all the food that I ate (bwahaha) and we went home.
My vacation was very fruitful to me. I met my friends (from work and from school) and relatives. Luckily, I was in the Philippines when the 5th movie of Harry Potter was shown and when the last book was released (woohoo!). I ate all foods that I think has Philippine mango as the flavor.
Also, I was able to meet my friends Daisy (met her boyfriend finally *wink *wink), Ryan (nakapag Big Chill na rin tayo after a long time.. thanks for your time kahit sobrang dami pa ng tasks mo, really appreciate it =P), former Cycling teammates (Kristine, Susan, Lois, Arthur and Abby), the Parokya gang (Eva, Jen, Uly, Jenny Jane & Abie), my relatives (Ate Jing, Kuya mar, uncle llano, Jing, Mae, Grace, Tita Ning, Ate Cindy, Tito Bebot, Kuya Wilzen, Ashley, Rea, Mabeth), my dorm mate Jopay (thanks for the day long kwento..sobrang na enjoy ko yung meeting natin hehehe), Celia (thanks for meeting me up kahit na pagod na pagod ka na..mwah!), Marge (thanks for the free lunch, sana makumpleto tayong 3 ni Hazel), Lee and Annrhee (former housemates, thanks for the time), Jen, Annie, Lois and Tita Mer (lam kong malayo pa ang pinanggalingan nyo pero touched talaga ako). Most importantly, I was able to spend time with my family ( I hate to admit it pero I missed the feeling of pagiging dependent and having somebody pushing me around, to the point of nagging na minsan.. that's why I'm back as your daughter just for 10 days =P)
So how do I find my vacation? I admit that there's no place like home. But I need to be away from it because there are things that I need to learn while I'm outside my comfort zone. And when the right time comes when I think I've learned all the things I need to know, then that would be the right time to go back :)
I am a Potterite (a Muggle who's fond of Harry Potter) since college. I have done a lot of crazy things due to my addiction to this J.K. Rowling epic. It all started way back in college where most of my classmates would have a Harry Potter trivia quiz everytime we take a break from our review or while doing the thesis. The first 4 books were circulating among my blockmates and most of us have read the book. When the first movie was shown during our senior year, the whole class watched the movie. We only had 1 class that day and my classmates watched the movie and met at that class to discuss the movie. I watched the movie with my fellow ka-Parokyas (my college barkada) twice in the theater on that day (adik talaga no?).
We continued our Harry Potter gimmick on the next movie installment even though we have our jobs. In fact, it was also during that time when we accidentally joined the Harry Potter trivia challenge and represented National Bookstore Greenbelt branch. It was accident because we only wanted to play the game board displayed in NBS Greenbelt and we need to register in order for us to play. Since nobody else registered in the adult category, we were "forced" to play the game on the following week at Megamall Activity Center. Imagine our horror when we found out that most of the contestants were below 20 years old (I was 22 back then). Good thing because of the contestants from SM North is 31 years old... so we're not the oldest then hahaha!!! We ended up as the 2nd place among the branches but when we need to claim our prizes on stage once our name was called. We were sooo embarrassed when it happened and we wished that nobody from work saw us (or we should have put on the Invisibility Cloak on us). Good thing no one did..whew!
For the third movie, I was on my onshore assignment but for the heck of watching Harry Potter, I went from Phoenix to LA just to watch the movie with Katrina, my cousin who's a certified Potterite as well. This is the first time that I watched the movie only once in the theater because the movie in US is quite expensive.
For the Goblet of fire movie, I still watched the movie with the Parokya gang but I had a low EQ at that time so I treated my family for a movie on the 1st day of showing. Later I realized that it was boring to watch that movie with someone who's not enthusiastic as I do. Anyway, I still enjoyed watching the movie with the Parokya gang even though I already saw the movie.
To keep up with the tradition, I watched the 5th movie with my college friends. Fortunately, I was in the Philippines when the movie was shown =) and I had to keep up with the tradition. Woohoo!!!
When it comes to the books, I bought the first 4 books (paperback) as a birthday gift for myself since I got my first job. For the succeeding books, all of these are in hard bound. The craziest thing that I did so far was to stay in the office overnight so that I can get the book at 7 AM, which is the usual time for the worldwide release of the books. I managed to read the book after 2 days.
The month of July is the much anticipated month for all the Potterites. Aside from the showing of the fifth movie adaptation, the conclusion to the 7-year epic of Harry Potter was released. And my verdict? Well, it was worth the wait. The ending was satisfying but it was bittersweet because I don't have anything to look forward to :(
Now that I've completed the 7 books, I am now planning to buy the hardbound copies of the first 4 books =) I'm also planning to buy all the DVD of all the movies (I already have 2).
Harry Potter has been a big part of our pop culture. It was kinda sad that this would have to end. But thanks to J.K. Rowling for bringing us her imagination which brought out the child in us :)
