2016 Week 30 Recap: Priorities vs Commitments

July 18-24, 2016

Work

Our HR department, who are the process owners of the systems we are deploying decided to delay it to two weeks because of employee readiness. According to them, not all employees have attended the training still. This impacts 15K+ employees and this translates to their payroll so it is really important for employees to undergo the training. Keri lang. We are slowly implementing what we can implement in advance. We will still get there in two weeks. Why in two weeks? Because we also need to time our implementation based on Payroll cut-off. Ours are  days 7-21 for end of month and 22-6 for the 15th. So all implementations should be guided by these days to lessen/totally avoid risks.

Basta kami sa team, keep calm and deploy pa rin hehehe.

Priorities vs. Commitments

Eto medyo nawindang ako last week hehe. Months ago, I said yes to a 1st birthday party on the 23rd and a wedding on the 24th. Last Monday, my favorite tita messaged me to go to their place last weekend for their house blessing. I declined at first because I don't want to be stressed of choosing between the events and going through the process of letting those people know that suddenly I can't go to their events anymore. Plus, nakabili na nga ako ng dress na dapat susuutin ko sa wedding eh. 

But I felt guilty. Event ng tita ko yun eh. I was looking forward to that event kasi milestone yun ng family nila. Yung tita kong yun and her husband, sila kasi yung madalas sa bahay namin talaga. Ilang years nang sa bahay sila lagi for New Year. Nung nawala yung nanay ko (na ate ni tita), sa bahay pa rin sila. Almost always present sa lahat ng invite ng nanay ko. Yung tito ko pa nga ang kasama ng nanay ko nung inaasikaso ni Mama yung house blessing ko rin (Oo, nanay ko talaga ang punong abala don. Hiyang-hiya ako kaso nasa Manila ako eh so di ko maasikaso talaga so sya na lang). At sila din yung nandon to guide us nung nawala ang mga magulang namin. So big deal talaga sa akin yung pagpunta/or di pagpunta sa event nila.

Come Wednesday, my officemate and I were talking about how to go to the venue. She mentioned that the wedding was on the 23rd. Nawindang ako at napakalkal ng FB messages. At 23rd nga talaga  so conflict na sya don sa birthday party :(. Na-confuse ako sino na ipaprioritize ko since umoo na ako sa 2. Thursday night, my tita was asking me again if I really can't go to their house blessing. Tinanong ko sya if magtatampo ba sya if di ako nagpunta. Silent treatment ang inabot ko. Mas lalo akong naguilty. Come Friday, I really felt uneasy na. I told my officemate that I was having second thoughts. Sabi ko, I think my best option was just to go home and don't attend both events na lang. Ganon. Syempre drama-rama with my officemate. I decided until the last minute possible. Umuwi pa ako ng apartment para maglaba. Nakapag-games pa ako. Pero come 3AM, I decided to go home na. I remember nasabi ko in one of my blog posts na first come, first served na lahat ng events na pupuntahan ko, unless may sumingit na pang pamilyang ganap. Eto na yun. Family comes first. And so....

Weekend

Carrots....ng kapitbahay nila hahaha

Eto ang view nila. Tanaw ang garden ng kapitbahay hahaha. Carrots yung tanim. So refreshing! Surprise ang pagdating ko hahaha. Di ko na sila sinabihan. Kasi nga di ba, ni-silent treatment na ako hahaha. Anyway, so glad I made that decision. At syempre kailangan matulog sa kanila. Sa lahat ng galing ng Baguio (sa Atok sila nakatira), ako lang nagstay for the night hahaha. Single eh. Pero eto ka. Nung medyo naka-inom na tito ko, nagsabi syang magtatampo raw talaga sya sa akin if di ako matutulog sa kanila hahaha. Hokey.

The next morning, I need to leave early dapat for the 10 AM mass sa Baguio. Early as in at 7AM, dapat nakasakay na ako ng bus. Kaso alam nyo na, ang sarap matulog don kasi malamig lamig. Plus ang sarap lang tumambay sa labas at magkwentuhan habang nagkakape. Aga kong nagising eh. 6AM. Kaso kumilos ako 8AM at 9AM na nakaalis hehe. Buti na lang, nakasakay ako sa bus agad after 10 minutes of waiting siguro. 

Bakit nga ba kailangan kong makabalik ng Baguio? Kasi may lunch date kami ng jowa ko hahahaha. Napakahirap magschedule with him since he works on weekends. Tapos may supposedly lakad pa sya ng Sunday night so lunch na lang yung option namin. Natuloy naman kami. Gusto kong kumain kami sa labas na kami lang at makapag-post anniversary celebration man lang dahil 1 year na kami last July 13. Akalain mo yun hehehe. While it was not always smooth sailing, milestone yun for us so big deal sya for me, kahit di big deal masyado sa kanya ang mga ganon. Ayun. Simple lang pero  masaya naman.

I asked him to take our selfie/groufie...whatever. Sya dapat para mas malayo ako sa camera hahaha! Basa nyo nakasulat sa shirt ko? Yan talaga ang ramdam ko especially kahapon. 

Hirap nung una kasi malaki raw phone ko...pero nawili nung kalaunan at click lang ng click :p

"Sir, bakit po parang ayaw nyong ngumiti?" Ay...baka gutom na sya pero pinagpicture ko muna yung server bago kami kumain kasi hahaha.

Palaparan ng mukha, pasingkitan ng mata :p

Tawang tawa ako dito kasi nahuli ko sya kung paano mag-selfie. May nalalaman pa syang tingin muna sa malayo, then tingin sa camera, smile, click. Kaloka! Hahaha!

Blessing in disguise din that I was not able to attend the 10AM mass. Don na lang ako sa 4PM na sakto, yun din ang schedule ng preggy friend ko. At least I was able to see her pregnant before she gives birth to her baby boy. Malapit na kasi yun! 

Anyway, yun lang ang mga chika ko. Nobela. Have a great week ahead.

P.S.1. Napaka-aligaga ng morning namin because some friends are trying to book tickets for the Wicked show in February 2017. Upon opening dapat since there's a 10% discount if you use Visa to book. Sayang din. Php1,645.88 yung final price after discount, kasama na dyan service charge. Yung original price ata is Php1,700++. 

P.S. 2. Gusto kong manood ng SONA ni PDu30. Sang link kaya pwede? Hehehe.

That One Time I Played Cupid (or tried to) and It Backfired on Me :)

Puma-pag-ibig sa umaga hahaha! Na-late lang ako ng gising para sa 8:45 AM mass at masyadong maaga para sa 10AM mass so tambay muna dito saglit. Naalala at narealize ko lang kasi ito kahapon lang, after so many years hahaha.

When I had my kubo blessed in 2013, I was surprised (and thankful) of the presence of the Divine Mercy community. I have known some of the people there since elementary years. One particular person is my sister's batch mate in elementary, who was single at that time. We were catching up with each other's lives after the mass, together with the catechist, who I just met that day. So syempre bilang catching up ito, tanungan kung may asawa/pamilya na. At pareho kaming wala. At nalaman ko rin na pati si catechist, single so tinanong ko directly kung bakit hindi nila i-try since pareho silang single hahaha! Anong klase akong host?! Hahaha! Pero sabi ni sister's batch mate, sa isa daw sya niloloko, who happens to be my older brother's batch mate naman hehehehe. Small world, no?!

Fast forward to quarter 2 in 2015, at a time when I was trying to map out what's next for me after losing our father making us children ulilang lubos, biglang nagtext tong si catechist. Nagpakilala bilang kuya hahaha. Alam na! Hahaha! Ayun, after 2 months din bumigay na ako kaya ako nagka-BF ayyiiiiiii hahaha! 

Ang kulit lang ni Lord kung makapagbiro, no? Hahaha. But His timing is always perfect. Always.

May interesting kwento rin about kuya during our father's wake. Pero next time na uli at kailangan ko na tumakbo sa simbahan hehehe.

Of Keeping the Faith and Second Chances

Her Bebe girl

I shared here the challenge I had with my niece and the resolution I had for the second semester. It has worked for both of us so far, although it's sometimes inconvenient for me to go to the bank and pay monthly. But that allowed me to keep track of the payments I made. I thought I still had one more payment to make based on the total amount of her payables this semester. However, I learned that she got a 25% discount because she was a Dean's lister last semester. While my only requirement for her was not to fail in any of her subjects, her achievement still made me happy and thankful. 

I am glad I did not give up on her right away after the fiasco we had last semester. I am happy I took that second chance. I am not expecting anything from her. I just want her to have better opportunities in life so that she can eventually support herself and her daughter. I want her to be able to stand on her own and not be forever dependent on others. I don't want her to be forever poor. I hope that she has learned her lesson last semester. I hope that she will stay challenged to continue working for a better life for her and her daughter. 

2016 Week 13 Recap: Holy Week Break

March 21-27, 2016 

I hope you all had a meaningful Holy Week. 

Work 

I had two days of work last week since I took the day off on March 23. We are struggling with debugging some reports because we have restricted access to the vendor’s server and we are highly dependent on our US counterpart. I feel helpless and frustrated until now especially every time I receive replies to my emails saying that they can’t quite get what I mean by so and so. Hay. But work is work and so we have to continue finding a way to work best even with a lot of restrictions. 

Birthday

I had a great birthday and I am thankful for another year. I was able to accomplish all that I’ve planned for that day. More details here. 

Holy Week Break

After a birthday dinner on Wednesday, I went home to my brother’s place because it was more accessible and safer especially at night. I also spent most of Thursday at my brother’s place. My sister-in-law’s cousin was generous enough and let us to use their car so my brother and his family accompanied me home. Thankful for that because it was easier to run errands (aka buy paint and groceries) and we were able to avoid the downtown traffic hehe. Thanks, kuya. Plus, my nephew had the chance to light candles for his lolo and lola. 

On Good Friday, my younger brother and I worked on the gates and railing. We painted it with primer just to control the rust. Just a temporary solution in the meantime that I’m still undecided what color use for the exterior of the house, plus of course the budget is still elusive hehehe.

As there was still daylight, I gathered the weeds that I removed from the backyard last December in one place. I'll wait for these to decompose and use it for my flower pots.

On Saturday, my tita, tito, brother + kid, cousin +kid visited three sick relatives, two of which are my mother’s brothers and the other one is my mother’s first cousin (our tita) whom she was close to when she was still alive. Two out of three were thinking maybe it was already their time to go hehehe. I suspected that of my uncle, since he’s now the same age when my mom died and he’s next to my mom by birth order. Hay gusto kong batukan mga matatanda. No, they should not be thinking of those things even if they go there eventually. Kanya-kanyang timeline naman yan. Besides, I am not yet ready to face another death in the family. Our tita looks older now as compared to the last time I saw her but still talkative. She said she’ll wait for my wedding and volunteered to walk me down the aisle since she’s not that optimistic anymore to do that for her own daughter because it looks like my cousin does not have the plans of tying the knot soon. Nakaka-pressure naman. Wala pa nga yun sa radar namin (or baka ako lang pala hehehe). Anyway, we’ll see. Pwede bang magfocus na lang po kayo sa pagpapagaling muna? 

After the visits, my tita, tito and I attended the Easter vigil mass. 

On Sunday, I requested the family to go on a picnic at Burnham. I invited my tita’s family and my cousins’ kids, whoever would like to come. I just want the kids to bond and play and just be kids. It is important for me that they grow up knowing each other so that when they grow old, I hope that they will also be each other’s support system. It’s also my birthday treat to them. Nothing fancy. Rice was cooked at home, and we just bought 2 viands from Good Taste (one of the famous and more affordable restaurants in Baguio), and ice cream. Panulak? Tubig lang hahaha. Tipid mode eh :p. 

It was bye Baguio in the evening and back in your arms, Manila at around 2 AM of March 28. 

I hope you all had a great week. Cheers to another great week ahead.

Personal Finance: My Niece's First BDO COP

I was able to get my OFW niece's confirmation of participation from BDO last Thursday. I've shared in one of my posts before that I encouraged her to set up an investment account before leaving for her place of employment, so that she has a facility to put in her savings. 

I'm glad that she listened to my advice and realized the importance of starting early. I am happy that she is still committed to her savings plan for her daughter's college fund. I'm thankful with the technology because she is just a PM away when I want to randomly check on her savings goals. I pray that she will be blessed with a steady source of income so that she can achieve her goals for her family.

On a different note, I have not seen Ms. Joan during my 2 previous visits at the bank. Ms. Joan was the one who helped us open an account for my niece last year. I wonder if she resigned. Good thing that the teller who attended to me last Thursday maybe still remembers me because when I requested for my niece's COP, she did not ask for my ID anymore and she knew which family name to look for. Thank you, Ms. Teller. Note to self - get the teller's name on my next visit.

How about you? Do you have family members abroad? Any tips for OFWs so that their hard earned money won't go to waste?

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.***

Vacation Officially Starts

Good to be home. Chirping birds, colder weather, not wearing a jacket while tolerable, quiet moments, endless  stories from nieces, coffee outside, meals outside. BUT...I miss you, Mama and Daddy. Booo!

Family Saga: Decision Concerning my Niece

At the time I shared this, I really didn't know what to do next. The next day, I went ahead and paid for her balance even though I wasn't sure yet whether I would still like to continue to support her or not anymore. But I told her that she will need to pay me back because it was not part of what we agreed upon prior her school. And I did not talk to her after. And I was still disappointed with her behavior after I have paid for her tuition. 

When I went home for All Saints Day, we did not talk. I deliberately avoided talking to her because I still don't know what to do with her. 

After much thinking though, I decided to give her one more chance, her last chance that is, if her grades were ok. I texted her to ask what her plans are. She said she would still like to continue her studies if there's a chance. I told her to email me her grades and the total amount for her second semester then I'll decide. She did, and fortunately for her (and a little relief for me), she had good grades. Her lowest was 87. And so I told her to go ahead and enroll. This time, I'll just be the one to deposit her tuition and maybe I'd have to do that every month. But I'd rather go that route than be stressed again later on should she decide to spend it elsewhere. Also, lesser temptation for her. And while I'm still mad at what she did, I will again take this risk with the hope that she has learned her lesson and all I'm asking from her is to take this chance while I still can help her so that she'll be able to stand on her own soon and provide for her and her daughter. 

As for her parents, I'm not sure if they knew about it. Haven't asked them because I knew I would still be emotional and I don't want to do that with the whole family present. Plus, I don't want to confront them, especially my sister because I know I can be harsh to her and for sure, what I'll get will just be silence. Dagdag frustration. 

Family Saga: I Don't Know What To Do With My Niece

I am very disappointed with my niece. I am still in fact fuming mad until now, 6 hours after her very disappointing text. She became a single mom at a very young age. After giving birth last year, I asked her what her plans were. She said she wanted to continue her studies. Suffice to say, her parents cannot support her, especially now that there's an additional member of their family. I decided to support her so that she can still have the chance to have a better life despite what happened to her. Also, in my mind, she will be going back to the same school, where tuition is cheaper. However, she chose a different school, which is more expensive. How expensive? My anticipated tuition per semester in the state university was what I needed to set aside per MONTH for her new school. But thinking that maybe it was the best option for her, and since I already gave my word and commitment to support her, I gave her the go signal to transfer school. I crunched my numbers, cut down on my expenses, and sacrificed some luxuries and target savings, just so I can accommodate her school expenses. I was even hesitant to jump into a relationship, something that I have prayed for fervently in recent months, just because heck, I don't have any extra for dates! (While it is nice to have someone to spend for you, I have been independent for the longest time that it makes me uncomfortable when someone spends for me.)

Sometime last week or the other week, her sister, who is now an OFW, told me that this niece sent her a private message in FB asking for financial support. I was surprised but did not give much thought. I just thought maybe she was shy to continue asking for support from me. To intervene, I texted her to ask when her payment is due. I've been paying monthly since she started school in June. She said she was not sure. Just to test that we are aligned with what she paid so far, I asked her to confirm if her payment for October is the last for this sem. She did not reply.

She dropped the bomb last night. She texted, asking me to deposit a certain amount in a certain bank and email her the scanned copy of the deposit slip so that she can take her exams later today. And she said she spent the money I sent her from July to September. And that she was sorry. WTF. My blood boiled that instant. I wanted to cry just to let it all out, but I was still in the office, in another site, away from the comfort of my own workstation. I had to struggle to think objectively. I asked her calmly what happened. She said she spent it for projects and food, and the rest she did not know where it went. WTF. I lost my cool and texted my disappointment with her, and more strong words that I know would hurt her. And I don't care. I don't deserve this. I am not asking anything from her in return. Our deal was that, I pay for her tuition, her parents should pay for the rest of her expenses. Should she complete her course, all that I paid for her will be her graduation gift. Otherwise, she has to pay whatever amount I shelled out up to the time she quit school. 

I still don't know what to do now. I want to go home so that I can slap her and confront her and her parents. I cannot sleep because I am really hurt. I don't know whether I'll still take the risk to help her or not. And I can't believe she even gave me a tight deadline in paying for her tuition. WTF again. Unfortunately, our province has been hit by Typhoon Lando and I cannot contact my aunt or my brother. Electricity is still not restored in many areas, moreso, in the far flung place where my aunt is. Arrrgggg! 

Note: I did not oblige my other niece, who is now an OFW, to help me support her sister because I want her to start early with her savings. Besides, she already has her own family, and I helped her put together her budget before leaving, and encouraged her to focus on her own family and set expectations with her parents that she won't be giving them monthly support. However, part of her budget is a monthly savings for her parents for major events where she will be forced to shell out money for them.