May Forever sa Tuppol (Bungi), May Forever sa Bilbil

Tuppol!

The other weekend, I was surprised to see that my niece already lost her first tooth! So last Saturday, when she was being her makulit self, I decided to scare her a little. I told her that she will forever have missing tooth because no new tooth will grow after losing her first tooth hehehe. I even made the chant, "May forever sa tuppol (Ilocano word for bungi)" and I sang it over and over until she was about to cry hehehe.

But sutil that she was, she was able to create her own. Her version ng pang-inis sa akin? "May forever sa bilbil"! At may kasama pang pag-alog sa bilbil ko talaga. Hayuf!!!! Hahahaha. Buti na lang dumating yung pinsan nya so pinaalis ko na and asked her to play with her cousin since they live far from them so they have to take advantage of the time to play. Plus, malapit na rin akong mapikon kasi hahaha! I got a dose of my own medicine in the same manner :p.

Dear Mama #1

Dear Mama,

The other weekend, the BF mentioned you again out of the blue. He told me (again) that you used to go to the office and share stories with him, and that you always mentioned about having a daughter who's still single hahaha. Nakakaloka talaga. At tingin daw nya, love mo raw sya, yung tipong pag magbibigay ka raw ng cake, mas malaki pa ibibigay mo sa kanya kesa sa akin na anak mo hahaha. Ang yabang no? Buti di ko nabatukan. Kaya rin daw sobra syang nalungkot nung biglang nawala ka. Sayang daw. At for sometime daw, di talaga nya kayang matulog sa office at lagi daw bukas ang ilaw kasi naalala pa rin nya yung pagkukuwentuhan nyo, este yung pagkukuwento mo while sitting at the visitor's chair and sya naman, tuloy lang sa trabaho.

While it makes me sad that you are no longer around to ask about it, I'm also happy that he has those memories of you. Sana lang nga talaga, you had more time to spend together. But well, such is life. You had to go ahead. So my request Mama, is that for you to please be our guardian angel and guide us and our relationship.

2016 Goals

Better late than never. I just realized that I should do this in the last quarter of each year, before Christmas holidays take over.

This year's focus will be: chill, family, health, wealth. 

1. Chill
The past 3 years has been the hardest in my adult life, losing both parents less than 2 years apart. I would say I have not been living since then, just surviving. This year, as a gift to myself, I will just be chill and not get too stressed in all areas in my life. Enough with the drama. I have been practicing since for weeks now, and so far, so good. I get stressed a little but I don't dwell on it much and just focus on what interventions I can do to address a current issue. I hope to keep this up.


2. Buy less, want less
I am not an impulsive shopper by nature but I think I have already accumulated too much over the years so this year, one of my goals is to just buy what I need. I won't be in a strict "no shopping ban" since I can easily walk out from a mall empty-handed if I know that I don't need anything at the moment. I just need to be more conscious of my purchases.


3. Stick with financial budget for 2016
Since I get a regular income, I already have a fixed budget. This year is almost similar to last year's, even with my financial goals, except for a new line item, which I call it Project BD at this time. I'll only be able to readjust after completion of all my payables. One is to be paid up by mid year but I still need to save for the processing of papers so that will be until end of this year still.


4. Get an additional income stream
I will start working on this, this year. 


5. Spend more time with family
Most of my nieces and nephews are still young so might as well take advantage of that while they still want to be with tita hahaha! We had 2 last year so I already have an idea how much to budget. The plan this year is to have quarterly picnics for all of us to bond. They are already expecting one on my birth month which is this Q1. 


6. Get down to my ideal weight
I really need to get serious about my health. I want a long life.


7. Start training for a marathon
I really want to do this. Target is 2017 so I must start training this year and so, I must really work on #5 so that it would be easier to run hehehe.


8. Push with Japan Travel
As of this time, it's still a go. This is the only travel I'm doing this year. My financial goals are still my top priority. Note to self: save up for all kinds of kitkat hahahaha! 


9. Go back to school
I had to stop when we lost our father in January 2015. I haven't been back since then. I would still want to complete the program. I only have 12 units left!


10. Become an early riser
Since I work mid-shift, tendency is to wake up later than usual. By rising earlier, I will have extra hours to work on other personal projects, like decluttering more, cross-stitching, or working for extra income. 


11. Journal more
I noticed that my memory is not as sharp as before already, hence this year and moving forward, I will write about all sorts of events, relevant or otherwise so that there is something to read back when I am much older. This is also the reason why I already have have the weekly recap in this blog.

That's about it. My monthly goals will then be in support of these goals. And, I'll do quarterly reviews to keep track.

Random Thoughts #3

1. Until now, hindi ko pa naliligpit ang Christmas tree ko at mga gifts hehehe. Paabutin ko na lang kaya ng Chinese New Year? Hehehe. Ginawa ko kasing Pasig-QC lang ang Manila-Baguio for the past 4 weeks.
2. Kailangan ko na talagang tigilan muna ang bumiyahe. Nagbabadya na naman ang cough and colds. It maybe because of the colder Baguio weather last weekend. So wala na talaga ang 10k steps ko for January.
3. Dami pa ring umaakyat sa Baguio. I'm sure especially in the coming days. 
4. Gusto ko na ng car - Toyota Innova 2.5 E Dsl A/T
5. Ang sarap talaga ng Ube jam. Niloloko ko yung friend kong malapit ko nang buksan yung pinabili nya hahaha. Sarap eh. And akalain mo yun, pumayag akong bilhan sila hahaha. Usually, I don't take orders kasi mabigat. Marami nang nagpapabili ng walis tambo pero ayaw ko talaga. Hassle i-byahe eh hahaha.
6. Dami ko nang backlog of blogs to read....
7. Na-addict na naman ako sa mga Bejewelled-type games. Nakaka-ubos ng oras. Need to stop and become more productive.
8. Kailangan ko nang maisulat ang aking 2016 goals...
9. Excited na ako sa birthday ko at nya...sana the universe will conspire with me with what I want to happen. Simple lang naman, nothing outrageous.
10. Annual evaluations na naman. Ano na naman kaya ilalagay ko? :p

Discrimination At Its Finest

I've mentioned in this post that we went to a wake last weekend.

Last Sunday, my aunt requested me to accompany her to a wake of her husband's relative. I didn't want to but she wanted me to be her scapegoat so that she'll not be forced to stay long hehehe. I gave in, since BF was still busy after the mass. Balik na lang. Anyway, we reached the relative's house at noon. Syempre gutom na gutom na kami non. Syempre normal naman ang mga pa-kape at sa amin, nagkakatay talaga ng baboy pang-ulam ng mga bisita. Pag may kinatay, naglalaan sila ng konti pang-inihaw which they serve to the guests while waiting for the food to be cooked. So few minutes pagdating namin, lumabas ang kape. Syempre natuwa ako. Pero biglang nawala yung tuwa ko nung dinaanan lang kami at inabot ang kape sa nasa likod namin hehehe. Next, lumabas ang inihaw na pulutan. Pucha ilang pinggan ang idinaan sa harap namin pero wala man lang ni isang inabot sa amin. Sumunod ang camote. Ganon din hahaha. Pati ba naman camote ipagkakait nyo pa???!!! Hehehe. Nagbubulungan kami ng tita kong kawawa naman nga talaga kaming mga pobre at nadadaanan lang hahaha. Pigil na pigil ko talagang humagalpak dahil wake yun pero at some point in time, lumakas pa rin tawa ko. Itinawa ko na rin kasi inis ko at gutom ko eh. Ewan ko paano kami nagkaroon eventually ng food. Basta may nag-abot sa tita ko pero not sure if yung nagseserve or ibang tao. Tapos may shy piece ng camote sa isang basket so kinuha na rin namin at ginawang to share hahahaha.

After sometime, may mga dumating din na iban guests. May mga konting borloloy at yung mga bag is yung handbag na sinusukbit lang sa braso. Style manyaman hehehe. Aba, grand welcome sila! Yung kulang na lang buhatin sila at paupuin sa best seats available hehehe. K, fine!

Sabi ng tita ko, ganon daw talaga yung angkan na yun. Yung mga nagtatrabaho sa kusina ay yung mga relatives nilang poor hehehe. Kaloka lang. Sabi ko sa tita ko, next time magwarn naman sya para makapagred lipstick man lang ako at maisuot ang fake kong jewelry basta makinang hahaha. Joke, pero why not? Hahaha. Pang-asar lang :p. But no, it's not me. Sabi nga ng nabasa ko lately, 3 things you should keep private -- lovelife, net worth, next steps :).

Anyway, bigla ko tuloy narecall how we treated our visitors during our parents' wake. But I can confidently say that we treated all of them well, especially the unfamiliar faces. Nakakahiya naman kasi. Sila na nga lang nakikiramay, sila pa uneasy dahil wala ni isa man sa amin ang hinarap sila. 

Pero love na love ko tito ko ha. Mabait kasi. Isa sya sa mga talagang umalalay sa amin nung nawala both parents namin. 

2016 Week 4 Recap: Our Father's First Death Anniversary

January 18-24, 2016

Work

The vendor did not make it last week and requested for a schedule this January 25. I don't get why they're having a hard time doing the customizations we've requested when they've done it before with their older version. Anyway...

The new laptop caused me at least 2 almost sleepless nights. The Office subscription assigned to us cannot be installed within our network so I had to bring it home and install it using my internet connection at home. And then, my connection decided to be at its slowest during that time so it took longer than usual for the job to complete. But everything's set now and I'm getting used to the new one. Thanks, boss uli.

Weekend

Last January 21, we got together as a family for our father's first death anniversary. It was just a small gathering with our cousins on our father's side. We lighted candles for both of them and offered prayers. On Sunday, we requested for a special intention for the repose of his soul during mass. 

My first grandchild (from my eldest niece, my sister's daughter) also came to visit. So she and my other niece played all day on Saturday and early Sunday, together with some of their cousins. The house was filled with children's noise again. Saya-saya.

Last Sunday, my aunt also asked me to accompany her to the wake of her husband's relative. I'll share the story in another post. Medyo mahaba hehe.

Baguio Weather

It's getting colder! But it was still colder same time last year. I remember during my father's wake that I had to wear at least 2 jackets on top of a shirt kasi sobrang ginaw. Ngayon, kaya pang no jacket during daytime. It will still get colder in February, but it will become warmer by March.

Future Trips Home

It's taking longer now to stay in line as a chance passenger. Meaning, a lot of people are again going up to Baguio. I'm sure a lot more will go up especially that Panagbenga is just around the corner. And while I'd like to go home as often as I want, di ko kaya ang weekly hehehe. Nakakapagod sa byahe sa totoo lang hehehe. So, maybe my next trip home would be on the Holy Week na, unless there's a need to go home on other days. We'll see. For now, I'm just glad that this weekend will just be spent in the apartment hahaha!

Dear Daddy #1

Dear Daddy,

Isang taon na mula nung lisanin mo ang mundong ibabaw at iwan kami...kay bilis lumipas. Kamusta ka na???? Chos. Nagyoyosi ka pa rin ba? Ilang kaha isang araw? Kumakain ka na ba sa tamang oras? O hindi pa rin? Sige, pagutom pa more :p. Naliligo ka na ba everyday? Siguro naman, di na malamig tubig dyan. Kaya mo nang maligo everyday o sige na nga, kahit every other day. With matching palit ng damit ha. Malakas ka na ba uli? Kaya mo na kaya ako I-swing gamit ang mga paa mo (tuttungi)? Kaya mo ba akong buhatin sa ulo ko? Gaya lang nang dati nung bata pa ako. Kasi ang laki-laki ko na hehehe.

Seriously, I miss you, Daddy. Wish you are still here. But God has other plans. So in memory of you, I'd like to repost your letter to me more than 2 decades ago. I am forever grateful that you took your time in writing this letter even though what I just needed that time to as a requirement in school was a simple acknowledgement that you received my letter. It has been and will always be my guide. Thank you for this beautiful letter.

*****

(This was my Dad’s letter in response to the letter I gave them. It’s one of our requirements in our English subject. I guess it has something to do with the different sentence constructions. The letter is dated November 15, 1992.)

My Dear Mylene,

A pleasant day to you too.

I am so grateful that you appreciate very much our way of disciplining all of you our dear children. It is because your mom and I would not want our children to be misled in life. Much more that you are still too young to understand the different factors affecting is in this world we live in. you see, there are two directions of our life as we grow. These are the negative and positive directions. Should you be thinking that you know better than what other people do, you are absolutely wrong. You might be following the negative direction of life.

On the other hand, if you would be thinking that you will be careful to follow the right path of life, you cannot be so sure about it. Why? Because you are young and as you grow older, you will be more exposed to society and encounter a lot of temptations that might lead you to the wrong direction. It is in this kind of life situation that we, as parents, come in to give you the proper guidance as much as we can, although there are instances that we do not give you the precise advice because of some problems that we also encounter. We hope that you will understand and forgive us too whenever we are in such kind of attitude. Anyway, our main intention is to help you develop yourselves to become a worthy member of a good society.

And now, asking the favor of our Almighty Lord, to grant us his blessings and that I may bestow also such blessings on all of you my dear, dear children.

With love from your dad,
Pido

*****

Hay. Sniff sniff sniff.

Nagbabangayan pa rin ba kayo ni Mama? Eh yung "belebak-belebak-belebak" fart nya na ikinawala ng galit mo noon? Meron pa rin ba? Hahahaha!

O sya, kita-kits this weekend. Hi na lang kay Mama. I love you both forever. ❤❤❤

Living Quarters: MERALCO Bill

I always thought that my MERALCO bill was too high as compared to my other friend who has almost the same set of appliances as mine and who frequently uses hers. Namamahalan ako kasi in the first place, wala naman akong aircon :p. I only have a TV, ref, a microwave oven (mostly used), an electric stove (which I only use when I do batch cooking), 1 electric fan, iron, laptop (which I don't use everyday), my router which is turned on as long as I'm home, and gadgets to charge. I also turn off lights at night and at daytime. I unplug everything (except for the ref) when I go out.

So for several months now, I was looking for ways to lower it. One of the big factor was the TV. I used to watch TV all day, especially on weekends. Sometimes, I don't really watch. I just turn it on for the sound. Every night, I also watch ANC's replay of On The Money. However, I guess they have rearranged programs and it's not showing at its usual time slot. Then I got tired of all the commercials and political ads so I just stopped watching. Plus, I became comfortable with silence so turning on the TV means noise now. I still watch from time to time but very seldom. The TV is seldom used since September, hence, one of my goals for this month is to cut my cable subscription. It has lowered my electric bill but I still think it's high. During these months, I was averaging from Php 700 - Php 900 in my bill. Lower than the usual more than a thousand pesos!

In December, I went home for the holidays so I decided to consume all perishable goods and turn off the ref. It was turned off for 13 days, these days covered in my current bill. The result? See below.

MERALCO Bill

This is by far the lowest I got to date hehe. So....looks like the biggest contributor is the ref. Well, maybe it's because it's more than a decade old already. It's not one of those energy efficient models which are abundant these days. Anyway, I'm still not changing it unless absolutely necessary. I'll just continue to consciously turn it off when not needed.

Now that I'm almost back to regular programming (aka staying at home especially on weekends), let's see how my next bill will be. 

I wonder how others keep their electric bills to a minimum?

2016 Week 3 Recap: Here Comes the Bride

January 11-17, 2016

Work

Unfortunately, the vendor cancelled the testing which was scheduled last Wednesday. He :psaid he needed more time to test it thoroughly before handing it over to me. Huwell. Haist. Hope to here from him this week.

My boss told me that I can switch my laptop with the new one and the one I'm using will be assigned to the newbie. I was hesitant at first because I wasn't sure if I was ready to finally let go of Lenovo for HP (arte ko, clingy pa :p) plus I was thinking of all the hassles of setting up the new machine again. But what the heck, haha. New year, new toy it is. Plus, I remember that the HP has longer battery life than the Lenovo so go for it! Thanks, boss! :)

Friend's Wedding

Forever friends

 Finally, my friend got hitched last January 16! Woohoo!!!! If there is one thing that I want to be perfect in my own wedding, it would be the ceremony at church. Luckily, my friend had that. It was a solemn one. I also love their priest. He was a colleague of my friend before he became a priest. It's really different when your priest knows at least one of you personally. He was very prepared with his sermon and he was smiling the whole time. I can feel that he is happy for his friend. 

Also, while most of the groom's side have different religions, there was respect for the chosen ceremony. Everyone was just in support of the bride and groom. That should be the case. No matter what we believe in, it should not divide us.

Food was abundant to feed all the visitors. There were a few leftover so I guess no one went home hungry. 

My friend called me during the catching of the bouquet. I obliged but just stood there hahaha. In my mind, if it lands on me, then fine. If not, then still fine hahaha. No pressure :p. 

What I didn't like, and similar to my friend's disappointment as well, was that the caterer did not maximize the space at the reception. Their reception was in a closed gym but there were still a lot of spaces which could have been used for tables and chairs so that fewer sat on the benches. Oh well.

There was another reception at my friend's residence at night but I begged off since I was already sleepy in the afternoon and beginning to have a headache. Plus I wanted to spend sometime with the nieces.

Saturday afternoon with the nieces

I am taking advantage of my frequent trips to Baguio to spend time with my nieces. The little one already lost her first tooth. I didn't even know last week that she was starting to have lose tooth haha.

Baliw-baliwan and a lost tooth

They also invaded my phone without me knowing it. Nagulat na lang ako ang dami nilang selfies and short videos sa phone ko. I will keep those and show it to them, especially the little one, when they are older. Hahaha. I can't wait to see their reactions then. Baliw-baliwan ang mga peg nila sa pictures and videos nila eh hehehehe.

Phone invaders!

Sunday with the BF

Fortunately, the BF did not have to go out for work so we spent most of the day in their office. He cooked lunch, which also served as our dinner. Home-cooked food for a change, salamat! And good to know he can cook...because I can't hahaha. At least, we won't go hungry :p. I stayed in their office until it was time for him to go home and time for me to travel back. From time to time, people who I knew from childhood, aka, my parents' kaberks would drop by, and it was good to see familiar faces, over and over again :).

Travelling Back

This time, I decided to try traveling later than usual. Pero as always, blockbuster uli sa Victory. Finally, after 2 hours of waiting in line, there was one vacant seat for the Pasay bound bus pero sa pinakalikod na pinakagitna, yung pag biglang preno at di ka nakakapit sa headrest ng katabi mo eh tilapon ka na sa aisle hahaha. Pinatos ko na rin at diniskartehan na lang ang pagkapit hahaha Luckily, the bus passed by TPLEX then SCTEX so the travel time until we reached Balintawak was only 4 hours! Amazing! More TPLEX-SCTEX routes please, Victory.

2016 Week 2 Recap: Going Back to the Daily Grind

January 4-10, 2016

Holidays are finally over and while I miss the family, it's also good to be back to my reality as an adult haha. Seriously, my social life (or the lack of it most of the time) needs a break. Nakakapagod din kaya hehe.

Anyway, I was hoping to already test a system done by a vendor during the first work week of the year, however, the customization I have requested was not done yet so I asked the vendor to do it first before my testing. I don't want to repeat testing once he's able to migrate. While he assured me that it would still be the same once they migrate after my testing, I want a fully functional final version to test still. Hopefully, everything's in order when we meet this week.

I got sick from too much travelling during the holidays so I had to go on sick leave middle of last week to rest. While my cough and colds are manageable, I don't want to further aggravate it with too much exposure to pollution. I also doubled my dose of Vitamin C. I will be going home every weekend until the 22nd of January so being sick is not an option hehe.

Speaking of going home, last January 3, I was supposed to fit the dress I'll wear for a friend's wedding on January 16. However, it was still not available, hence the need to go home last weekend. Unfortunately, the shop would still have to adjust things. I am crossing my fingers that it will turn out ok. Kung hindi, idadaan ko na lang sa confidence hahaha! Pero susko talaga.

My clingy niece

I asked my 12-year old niece if she would like to go out with me last weekend. She declined!!! I even bribed her with her favorite food. Ayaw pa rin! Huhuhu! I was a little hurt and confused because she was clingy and she likes going out with me when she was younger. She said she was doing a project. In my mind, she can still do it on Sunday but I did not press further hehe. Pero hay, tumatanda na talaga sya. Di na clingy kay tita. Huhuhu ulit. Buti na lang meron pa akong isang maliit na pamangkin. I asked the 6-year old if she would like to come. Of course, eto lakwatserang tunay so yes agad at di pa man ako nakakaligo, aba, bihis na bihis na sya hehehe.

Strawberry shortcake!

My tita was also in town so she asked that we meet up para daw mapakain ko sya haha. Keri lang basta sa mura lang hahaha. Sa medyo mahal pa yung request nya nung una but since ubos na ubos na ang spending money ko last holiday, tipid mode na uli ako today. We ate at Cathy's fastfood, one of the local restaurants in Baguio and moved to Vizco's for dessert. So ayun, di ko naman sila tinipid masyado hehehe.

New friends

A friend, who I last saw during my dad's wake in January 2015, also met up with us after her class. She was with her little girl so my niece found a new playmate. Nagkakahiyaan nung una pero after a few minutes, ok na sila hehe.

My nieces slept with me on Saturday night. We also played in the morning until the time I need to get ready to leave again. Her clingy self kicked in for a while when she requested me to just travel back on Monday morning. Kung pwede lang eh. But I also need to rest before another work week.

On Sunday, I just attended mass and went straight to the terminal. I knew Victory Liner will be jam-packed again so I decided to try other buses. My first option was full so I resorted to riding another bus line. Suffice it to say that I got stressed with the travel so never again with that bus hehehe. I would rather fall in line for hours to have a comfortable travel rather than ride right away but endure the next 7 hours of a stressful travel.

2016 Week 1 Recap: Holiday Break Part 3

December 22, 2015 - January 3, 2016

Part 1

Part 2

Friend's Bridal Shower

Friends for life

We were back in Baguio the morning of the 29th. Just rested for a while and went out again for some errands and attend a friend's bridal shower. Her sister and cousins prepared a simple tea party for her. Very sweet of them. And she was surprised. Kudos to the organizers.

Our friendship spans 30 years, starting in Kinder. What a blessing to have friendships that long. The three of us grew up together because we were all classmates in elementary. I guess all the walking to and from school helped us form a bond of a lifetime. While we all lead different lives since high school and onwards, we did not fail to keep in touch and tried our best to meet up when all of us are in Baguio. Our other friend got married first in 2009, and now it's her turn. I am just happy for her that she's in this position now. Part of our conversations in the past were fears of growing old and not finding our partners in life. But now, she's about to embark on another journey, just as we are starting with the new year. Praying for a happy and strong married life for her and her partner, with God in the center of their relationship. 

Side story: we were all born in the same year but in different months and I'm the eldest among the three. When our other friend, who was our bunso, got married in 2009, I jokingly said she'll be next and as the eldest, I'll be the last to get married in the group. Now it's happening haha! 

Time out with all the social events

Show the yard some loving :)

I purposefully did not go out on December 30 so that I could tackle the pending task of weeding out the grasses in our backyard. I just want a clean looking backyard come year end. And while there are still spaces to clean, at least I was able to complete the area where the kids could play. 

On December 31, we went out for some groceries in the morning and immediately went home for the fear of having to wait longer for taxi cabs if we stayed longer in town. Baguio is now very crowded. It's hard to roam around freely especially on holidays.

We attended the New Year's Eve mass to cap 2015 and welcome 2016. Thanks to my uncle and auntie for staying with us, so there's transportation to use.  The priest's message was timely for me. He said that this new year, let us trust God's divine providence while we continue to strive harder to be better. 

Happy New Year!

2016 bonfire

For several years now, my mother's siblings usually gather at our place for New Year lunch. But now that Mama's gone, I did not have solid plans for the new year. However, during my cousin's wedding, an uncle asked if there will still be lunch at home, hence I said of course, we can still have one, with me now hosting. We'll see again next year. 

Break Almost Over

I was supposed to go back to Manila on the 2nd but the friend who's getting married texted that the entourage dresses were already available for fitting so I just decided to go back on the 3rd, after the fitting. Turns out, the dress has not yet been adjusted and I'd have to go back next week for the fitting. Oh well. No sweat. 

The bonus? I was able to have lunch with the BF. Sundays are one of his busiest days so I was just expecting a hi and goodbye kind of greeting but good thing he was available after the last morning mass. Bitin pero better than nothing.

I did not have ticket reservations so I was prepared to wait in line for ours so keri lang. Parang last year din lang. No sweat. But I really need to start exploring other options since Victory Liner is always full now. My friend's sister rode Joy Bus. Will try that this weekend.

Finally at 1 AM on the 4th, back in your arms, Manila.

2016 Week 1 Recap: Holiday Break Part 2

December 22, 2015 - January 3, 2016

Part 1

Tagaytay Trip

Cold drinks on a cold, windy day

As mentioned in my previous post, I promised a niece that I will bring her to Tagaytay. It almost did not push through because my brother's MIL also just got out of the ICU. However, since we've already planned for it before it happened, and since they were already looking forward to our visit, we left for Tagaytay on the 25th. 

The final cast (total of 9 - 3 adults, 1 teens, 3 almost teens, and 2 kids): auntie, uncle, their 2 kids, my 2 nieces, 2 kids of a cousin. My niece, the cousin's daughter, and my auntie's bunso are all of the same age so they relate well to each other. 

Originally, it was just me, my 2 nieces, auntie, uncle and their one daughter but I asked the cousin if she's willing to provide fare for her daughter so she can also come. My intention was for these almost teenagers to continue to bond more (we were all together at my cousin's wedding too) by travelling together further down south. She agreed but we also had to bring along her brother, otherwise, he'll throw tantrums. Fine with me, since the kid, though only 6 years old, can already take care of himself, plus his sister is there to see him.

We just went to Starbucks Tagaytay (San Jose) on December 26, together with the kids of my brother, primarily to see Taal Lake. After that, we went to Puregold for groceries. We walked since it was faster that way rather than wait for jeepneys and get stuck on traffic.

The next day, we just attended mass, had lunch at Jaycee's, had more of Taal viewing, and bought some souvenirs. 

I purposefully avoided the usual tourist attractions (hello Sky Ranch and People's Park in the Sky) because I knew it would be jam-packed. I also wanted to spend more time with my brother's family and  accompany them with their nursing duties even just for a few hours. 

SM MOA and Seaside

Beautiful day to hangout by the seaside!

We left for Manila on the evening of December 27 and my auntie wants to spend at least a day in Manila, specifically SM MOA so we did that on the 28th. I had to look for a dress to wear to another event so I requested to be left alone for a while to shop hehehe. We met after 2 hours for late lunch. 

After lunch, we went to the seaside for them to enjoy the sea kahit tanaw lang. Laking bundok sila at walang dagat sa bundok hehehe. 

The perks of being with kids is that they don't mind what other people think. Wacky kung wacky. Kaya kaming adults, deadma na rin. Pagod na pagod at parang nabugbog ang katawan ko kaka-wacky at kakaipit ng mga bulilit sa akin pero keri lang. Masaya naman.

Since it was a workday, I worry that the MRT might be jampacked so we left MOA minutes before rush hour. Naabutan pa rin kami but ok lang. At least, naexperience ng mga bata kung paano makipagsiksikan sa MRT hehehe.

Quick Shopping

I was not successful with my shopping in MOA so I decided to just continue it at Shang. I need a casual dress for a friend's bridal shower. Need daw kasi nakadress and hair dress. Believe it or not, wala akong casual dress hehehe. Puro mga ginamit ko lang sa party party ang meron ako. Anyway, para ma-experience ng mga almost teenagers ang mall na yun, we stayed behind while the tito, tita and kids went home ahead.

Good thing I tagged them all along, at may mga taga pili ako ng kung anong mas magandang bilhin hehehe. I also had some Bench GCs (di ko alam san galing hehehe, baka freebie in the past) so we went to the store and let them use those GCs. Aba, mas matagal pa silang magdecide kung anong mga bibilhin nila! Hahaha!

Dropped by Chatime before going home for some milk tea. Side story: when my little niece was browsing through the pictures in my phone, she saw our pictures at Chatime and said madaya daw kami kasi di namin sila sinama hehehe. Actually, their sisters left some drinks for them but when we arrived at the apartment, they were already asleep so wala rin. Pero napaka-observant na bata. Di pwedeng magtago sa kanya hehehe.

Anyway, packed things that night for the travel back home to Baguio.

At first, I was worried of the logistics given our big group but thanks to the kids who are troopers, the proximity of the apartment to the MRT station and bus stop, and everyone's readiness to walk even with their backpacks, that we all survived with a blast! We walked and took the public transportation to get around. We only took the cab going to Victory Liner terminal in Cubao.

Part 3

2016 Week 1 Recap: Holiday Break Part 1

December 22, 2015 - January 3, 2016

I have posted here a summary of how my days during the holidays were like. It was tiring with all the travelling from North to further North to South then back to North again. I guess it was the busiest Christmas break I had, focusing on family related events. If there is one thing that dawned on me after losing both my parents, that is to make an effort to bond with your family (immediate and extended) because at the end of the day, especially in times of needs, it is your family who will most likely be your number 1 support group (at least in most cases).

Anyway, here are the highlights of 2015 Week 52 and 2016 Week 1.

Cousin's wedding last December 23, 2015

Chapel in Colong. Small but cozy.

She's my mom's niece and the wedding took place at my grandma's hometown, which was 2 hours bus/van from Baguio and at least an hour's hike to their home. We did not grow up together since we live apart but we know each one's existence hehehe. So when she invited me to her wedding, I saw it as an opportunity to reconnect with my grandmother (who outlived my mother btw), cousins and other relatives. Never mind that I will be using all of my remaining vacation leaves and will have no carry overs for this year. I'm happy that she has finally tied the knot with the man of her dreams.

From our family, 2 brothers, a niece, and I were present. A cousin also sent her kids (ages 12 and 8) as her representatives since she needs to attend to another event at her hubby's side of the family.

Spending a night at my auntie's place

Sea of clouds over the Benguet mountain ranges

Since it was tiring to go back to Baguio right after the wedding, we all agreed to just spend the night at my auntie's place. We were able to still attend the anticipated 9th day novena at their parish on the night of the 23rd.

In the morning, I was greeted with a sea of clouds over the mountains. It was a bit far but still visible. I always look forward to such scenery when in the mountains because I am reminded that life is still beautiful no matter what.

Part 2

Part 3

Be Careful What You Joke With Kids

In December 2014 during a phone conversation, I kidded my then 5 year old niece to come with me to Tagaytay and we'll spend Christmas at my brother's place. Few hours after that call, my sister informed me that my niece was crying and she was waiting for me to fetch her so that we could go to Tagaytay. Patay! To appease her, I promised her that I'll just bring her to Tagaytay in December 2015 so that at least she'll be a year older by then. At hindi na sya ganon kahirap bantayan hehehe. Also,  I need to save up first and she also needs to do the same. She agreed and she never forgot.

Funny story related to that. After our father's burial in January 2015, we opened the donation box to account all gifts. The money was spread on the floor. Suddenly, my niece said, "Mommy, adu nga kwarta. Mangala ka pang-Tagaytay tayo." (Mommy, there's a lot of money. Get some for our Tagaytay trip). Hehehe. Matandain ang bata. Kahit sumisenti kami sa pagkawala ng tatay namin, napatawa kaming lahat sa hirit nya.

And all throughout 2015, she would often ask me once in a while about our Tagaytay trip. I always assured her that yes, it was still a plan but she should do well in school before I make it final. 

Hence, it was keeping up with a promise for this little girl in 2015. While I learned my lesson the expensive way, I'm glad I was able to keep up with that promise. At least, now I know. I'll be careful with my jokes especially with that niece next time. And no regrets as I had a blast. We all had a blast!

Goals for January 2016

I'm continuing the monthly goals which I started in October last year, just for me to become more accountable with my goals.

For January 2016:

1. 10,000 steps a day or a total of 310,000 steps for the month
2. Kick off C25K training. Target 3rd or 4th week of January, in the hopes that my cough and colds will be gone by then. It sucks to be sick at the start of the year, but grateful that it's not something serious.
3. Cut-off cable subscription. I seldom watch TV nowadays, plus I bought a TV Plus from a colleague last year and a DVD player, so that should be enough.
4. Read one non-romance book
5. Complete The Project Management: The Basics for Success course at Coursera.org and pass the weekly exams
6. Meet with insurance agent to process update of insurance details

Will update by end of this month.

Financial Goals for 2015: Year End Review

I have been delaying the reality check for the goals I've set in 2015 mostly because I know I haven't met most of it hehehehe. You see, right after publishing my goals in 2015, life happened.

• A piece of land called my name, the payment terms are easy, and I went ahead and bought one parcel. And this impulse decision impacted my goals early on hehehe.
• As per tradition, we had to do something for mom and it was unexpected, and entailed a big amount. While she still had remaining money after her burial, it was not enough to cover all the expenses so I had to take some from my safety fund.
• A day after the traditional ceremonies for our mother, our father was rushed to the hospital, and then we eventually lost him. Incurred a lot of hospital bills and burial expenses, which was thankfully covered by the donations we've received but it was still not enough so I had to again take some more from my safety fund. 
• Admittedly, I resorted to retail therapy partly to cope with all the stress at the start of last year. I don't regret my purchases though because most are things that I need and still using until now. 

And now, here's my reality check.

1. Complete safety fund (6 months' worth) by June 2015 - FAILED (At 4 months by year end. Reevaluating now, given that I don't have parents to take care of anymore)
2. Religiously pay SK LU. 18 months to go - SUCCESS! (6 months to go!)
3. Save a total of Php 61,500 by end of the year for lot processing/housing fund - FAILED (All funds reallocated to something else)
4. Maintain 2k/month allocation for BDO EIP until June. Increase to 5k/month by July. - FAILED (Had to retain 2k/month until year end)
5. Increase MF to 20k - FAILED
6. Add 10-20k in stock market - SUCCESS! (Added a total of 12k. Small, but every amount counts!)
7. Save a total of Php 40K for continuation of house construction - FAILED (All funds reallocated to something else)
8. Attend at least 2 financial seminars - SUCCESS!
9. Allocate a daily allowance and put all extra in a jar. This will be used for wants. - QUITE (Was able to save some from my allowance. Still not spent and will still be for wants)
10. Continue donation for church construction in my hometown where my mom was active on her last few months with us - FAILED (All funds reallocated to something else)
11. Set aside a Tulong fund for those unexpected expenses. I have been getting surprise requests since my mom died and it screws up my budget and stresses me out most of the time (all my income down to the last centavo is allocated to something so I really don't have any extra fund which I can let go of anytime). Might as well be ready for things like this. QUITE. (Was able to save some on some paydays but still reallocated to other things. I was firmer with my NO this time, without feeling guilty over not being able to lend (aka give) money to borrowing relatives)
12. Start saving for an international travel (planning to do backpacking in Europe as a graduation gift for myself when I complete the MTM program). Will initially set aside 2k/month for this. - QUITE (But for a Japan trip this year. Europe would have to wait but still in the list)

Too many reds, but this year is another chance to be better.

Update: Goals for December 2015

Update on my goals for December 2015.

1. 10,000 steps a day or total of 310,000 steps for the month - SUCCESS! (101.94% completion and it was really a conscious effort to complete the 10K steps per day)
2. Read 2 books (at least 1 non-romance book) - FAILED (Read 2 books but both romance hehehe)
3. Maximum of 15 Uber rides - FAILED (Exceeded by 1 ride, and partly glad that the holidays are over as there are no more frequent and exceedingly high surcharges!)
4. Declutter clothes cabinet - SUCCESS! (Will do this again after 6 months to purge more)
5. Review 2015 financial goals - FAILED (Medyo scared because this will entail going back to one of the saddest events in my life last year, but will eventually do it later)
6. Prepare 2016 financial and non-financial goals - QUITE (Would need to revisit the list)
7. Draft a simple plan for an online shop - FAILED (Was always on the go last holiday break and did not have the chance to sit down and think through but I'm not complaining :))
8. Cover the books - SUCCESS! (All boxed. Question now is...how to bring them home? Courier is too expensive so for now, I'll try to carry as much as I can every time I go home)
9. Complete The Project Management: The Basics for Success course at Coursera.org and pass the weekly exams - FAILED (Holiday activities prevailed :p. Lesson learned...will not set these types of activities during the holiday break)
10. Clean the yard at the Sayote Kingdom - QUITE (Still not done. Will try to continue in the next three weekends that I will be going home for some errands)

December 2015 Christmas-related Calendar

I just want to document, even on a high level, all the social events I attended in December to help keep the memories. Plus, it will be nice to have something to read back years from now. :)

Office:

1. December 01, 2015 - Team's Kris Kringle week 1
2. December 07, 2015 - Team's Kris Kringle week 2
3. December 11, 2015 -  Team dinner with the big boss (Vikings)
4. December 13, 2015 - Year End Party (did not attend)
5. December 14, 2015 - Team's Rewards and Recognition Night
6. December 18, 2015 - Team building (did not attend to conserve energy for all the travels during the holidays)

Personal:

1. December 19, 2015 - Was supposed to go home to Baguio but brother in Tagaytay texted that he might need some financial help, hence we'll need to meet the next day. Di rin naman natuloy.
2. December 21, 2015 - WFH then left for Baguio at night 
3. December 22, 2015 - Went to a dress shop for my measurements and then go home to Mama's hometown in the afternoon
4. December 23, 2015 - Cousin's wedding, Went back up to auntie's place in Bonglo in the afternoon 
5. December 24, 2015 - Went home to Baguio, attended Christmas Eve mass
6. December 25, 2015 - Traveled back to Manila in the afternoon/evening together with nieces
7. December 26, 2015 - Went to brother's home in Tagaytay
8. December 27, 2015 - Roamed around Tagaytay, left for Manila early evening 
9. December 28, 2015 - Went to SM MOA, left for Baguio at night 
10. December 29, 2015 - Attended Jen's bridal shower 
11. December 30, 2015 - can I just sleep all day?! No, continued cleaning the yard
12. December 31, 2015 - Grocery for New Years Day lunch, attended New Years Eve mass
13. January 1, 2016 - Hosted lunch at home for Mama's siblings as has always been the norm when the parents were still here. Incomplete attendance. Even the uncle who requested it was not available all of a sudden. Keri lang.
14. January 2, 2016 - Continued cleaning the yard, Was supposed to go back to Manila in the evening but Jen texted that the dress is now ready for fitting...
15. January 3, 2016 - turns out the dress has not yet been adjusted so I can't fit it yet. On the positive side, I got to spend lunch with the BF. It was unexpected because Sundays are one of his busiest days. What a pleasant surprise to cap my Christmas break :).
16. January 4, 2016 - Back in your arms, Manila. I had to stay in line for 3 hours just to be able to ride the bus. Good thing Victory added an extra bus bound for Cubao and so I was able to buy tickets for my trips home in the next 3 consecutive weekends.

***Too many backlogs of things to write. Need to catch up.***