Well, hello there, Monday!

I've got a hectic day ahead of me, but my head isn't quite there just yet. I went ahead and beat my coding so I got to the office very early so I can make a head start. That didn't help. 

I'm still distracted by our quick weekend trip. I had a quick weekend getaway at Casa Valencia, Laguna with my old Portal team, gathering together the old and new members. 

It does feel great to be early in the office - get some peace and quiet. I enjoy the solitude and the time afforded to me to really take the time to reflect on my Evernote to-do list. 

Yes, it's gonna be another one of those weeks when I'm gonna have to attend back-to-back meetings, lunch included. 

It was a great weekend, though. I can't complain. I got to spend time with Skye and my team. I managed to get drunk by 4pm on a Saturday afternoon, with no hang over the following day. 

Everything is great. I just need to wrap my head around work again.   

All is well in the world

I've got back-to-back-to-back meetings. I take for granted my personal errands.

BUT...

I was able to promote 2 of my team members. 

I got a salary increase that doesn't insult my efforts from last year. 

I've got very reliable team members who I can depend on. 

And despite our crazy-hectic schedules, Skye and I have one end in mind: at the end of the day, we come first. 

Our marriage is our priority. 

All is well in my world again. 

=)

Happy birthday, Skye!

Your sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek sense of humor really got to me, at a time and place when only few got the drift.  I remember being the only one who laughs at your jokes in conference rooms when you were still pitching and presenting to me.

I have come to love you because you are both funny and witty. At the same time, you are head-on serious when you set goals in life. You are sincere, loyal and you are such a great friend. Your friends can definitely attest to that.

You have a good and kind heart, despite the sarcasm. You have the virtues that I lack, which makes you perfect for me.

Today, I am reminded that I married a great guy.

Happy, happy birthday, Skye.

Looking forward to coming home to KL together tonight. And cheers to more blessed years ahead of you. 

Monumental 02.15.2014

A month ago, this happened...

Yes. The Bitch finally got hitched. 
 

To a fine young gentleman.   

It was an awesome party, to say the least. =) 

 

 

 

Attended by the people who matter, the Inner Circle, the ones near and dear to us.

Will it be a happy ever after? 

Fate is always in both God's hands and ours. We carve our own destinies, but we must always seek God. 

I know it won't be an easy ride, but I'm excited to take this journey forward. This time, I'm not alone. I'm with the best person I can ever be with.  =) 

I don't believe in fairy tales and happy ever afters. 

But cheers to MY happy ever after.

Of airports and planes

I think I've blogged about it already before, but the way I feel about airports remains the same. 

I feel melancholic whenever I'm in airports. 

It means a state of transition and change for me. 

Although I'm always excited of changes, I also feel sad about leaving. 

I had a great time in Malaysia this time around --- probably one of the best trips that I've ever taken in the country.

Things around here are not new to me anymore. What made it great are the people in here who welcomed me back with open arms. 

And Skye --- who always has my best interest at the forefront. 

Blessed and grateful, as always. 

=) 

A few hours and I'm back in Manila! I can't wait to start running our wedding errands! 

Day 1 of 2014

New Year's Eve was spent at the Mandarin Oriental beside KLCC Tower so we can witness the fireworks up close. 

It was a quiet celebration --- cocktails, buffet dinner, fireworks display and a champagne toast by midnight with Skye's family. 

Today, Skye and I had dimsum for lunch, ran errands, bought his 3rd pair of Onitsuka shoes as my New Year's gift and bought his clothes to be brought back to Manila. 

We had a long nap in the afternoon, woken up by his Dad for a taco feast dinner. 

The entire night was spent at home, planning our wedding and ironing out more details together. 

Definitely a good start for day 1. 

Moving up and moving forward, 2014! 

Last Friday of 2014

Today is the last Friday of 2014. 

My morning was spent with my Yayay Cita packing for my Malaysia trip tomorrow. I am so helpless without her. 

This afternoon, I went to the office to complete some of my paperwork and presentation deck. I'm not planning to bring my lappy so better do everything TODAY! 

It's  been very quiet in the office --- as in reeeaaaally quiet. I'm not used to it. 

At any rate, despite the lack of thorough review of what I've done this year and how I fared in my bucket list, I actually think I did quite well. 

God has been very generous. I have been very blessed. 

Off to more paperwork before I finally enjoy my holiday break. 

RnR. Finally!!!

Christmas morning

Christmas mornings are THE BEST!!!

I can wake up late. 

I wake up with my entire family in the house. As soon as I enter the living room, I smell the waft of piping hot chocolate and Mom's classic spaghetti meat sauce being warmed on the kitchen stove. 

The entire house is just really crazy - Abbygale shouting, playing and running around, conversations among the oldies - my Mom, my Dad and Yayay Cita. 

One word to describe everything: BLISS. 

The holiday season used to make me sad. 

Not anymore. 

I have no reason to be. 

JC has blessed me so much. There's just so many things to be thankful for. 

My family. Skye. My friends. My career. Everything in my life just fits all perfectly for me. 

Today, it's JC's birthday. Ironically, He's the one who gave me a plenitude of gifts. 

Christmas. 

I now love Christmas. =) 

Day 2 of House Arrest: Confessions of a Workaholic

Day 2 of house arrest. I'm still alive - without the restlessness and fidgeting. 



I feel guilty when I take a break and push work stuff in a corner.

I feel bad putting off things for the next day --- even if accomplishing everything on my list will kill me. 

There. I said it. 

Skye is right. I do not know how to relax. I wish for it, I crave for it, I dream of it. 
But when I get a day or two's break, I don't know what to do. He actually said that he'd be a much better houseband and will reach that goal faster than I can be a housewife.

I get lost without the structure of a to-do list, because truth be told, there's so much to do!!! 

1. Work-wise, I have to build a major platform that needs to be up and running by next year. 

2. That is just one of the hundreds of things I need to do at work. I don't even want to go into mentally enumerating them. 

3. I've got a wedding ceremony and party to organize. Although I'm halfway there, it's no reason for me to silently panic. 

4. 2014 is just around the corner and I'm nowhere near touching my vision board. 

5. I have to account for all my mortgage payment if I want to sell one of my real estate properties. 

Had I not gone on a quick break, I would probably be suffering a panic attack right now. 

I know I'm trying to alleviate my guilt by opening my lappy, going online and trying to be productive by 9am - but it is a slow and good start for someone like me. 

I need to breathe. Yes, I keep telling myself that. 

It's okay to breathe. 

The roller coaster ride...

...has just begun. 

Here we go. 

Have A Little Faith - or even more of it

As baduy as it may sound, I formed a book club in the office with some friends who shared the same interest --- since we borrow each other's books and libraries, anyway. 

I just finished reading Mitch Albom's Have A Little Faith yesterday and it's such a timely read as I have rediscovered my faith through The Feast. At the same time, I have a very recent experience of being asked to convert into another religion.

I've been wanting to write about my faith for almost a month now. Admittedly, it's one aspect of my life that I rarely talk about. 

Truth be told, you will never know the importance of your faith until you are asked to relinquish it or believe in something else. I grew up in a Christian country where everyone I knew was Catholic. When I was growing up, it was normal to be Catholic. Until I left for Indonesia and did several projects in Malaysia.  Both countries are predominantly Muslim. 

Whilst I am Catholic, by baptism and by choice, I was raised to be religion-tolerant. For my Mom and my family, it is not about religion but how steadfast your faith is.  At the same time, whilst I am comfortable and confident about my faith and my God, I never even imagined that I will one day be asked to convert to another religion to be with someone. 

I don't believe in converting into another structure of faith because it is the law of one country. Or because I have to follow the man's religion because I am a woman. The second reason --- yes, I definitely threw a fit. Conversion should be done from the depths of your heart. Because you started believing in something that you never used to. 

Tears were welling up in my eyes by just the thought that I cannot believe in my Christ anymore. Although I am church-going, I'm not exactly what you'd call the ideal Catholic. Thus, my surprise with the impact of  what's being asked from me. 

I cannot stop believing in my Christ. My faith is the one I held on to in the darkest hours of my life. I believed in my salvation because I believed in Christ. 

And so it is. It is true. You will never know the importance of your faith until you are asked to give it up. 

Mitch Albom, the Reb. They're both right. Different faiths can walk side by side. 

And that is what we decided to do. We both believe in God.  We just have different religions. 

While Skye will allow me to go to my church still, I will honor his fasting month and make sure he eats before the sun rises. I will make sure there is food on the table upon buka puasa.We will raise our children to be religion-tolerant but at the same time to have faith and believe in God. 

Faith. Faiths can walk side by side. May he and I be the testament to that.

Code of honor

A man of his word is a man of honor. 

Thank you. 

For being one of the few walking the face of the planet. 

Salamat sa paninindigan at pagmamahal mo. 

It never ends

I'm at the Miascor airport lounge waiting for boarding. Thank God for lounge memberships and Citibank perks. I CANNOT STAND NAIA TERMINAL 1. 

I remembered what Big said the first time we met --- it's the worst airport in the world. 

But I'm digressing. 

Initially, I wanted to start reading the newly assigned book from my SWATTS book club. I eagerly got myself a cabernet sauvignon so I can sit back, relax, sip my wine and read through my Kindle. 

But no. Barely 5 minutes on the couch, my phone started ringing. I had to be in a series of phone calls  

with my boss and my leads to firefight some issues in the office. 

I had no choice but to turn off my Kindle and open my dear reliable lappy. 

Work. It never ends. 

Paalis ka na lang para magbakasyon ng ilang araw, hahabulin ka pa. 

At the same time, while this may sound like a rant to others, it's actually quite the contrary. 

I love my job. I love work. It's my vocation. I like the adrenaline rush. It gives me my sense of purpose. 

Sadistic as it may sound, hahanap-hanapin ko ang panic mode at habulan if I am on vacation for far too long. It's just how I'm hard-wired to be. 

But for now --- let me take this moment to chill a little bit. 

Off to KL for a couple of days to celebrate Chinese New Year and VDay with Skye. 

It's one of those very rare moments when I don't want work to come running after me --- even just for a couple of days. 

We do deserve the time to be together and just be. 

Closing lappy in a little bit. 

Gratitude

This week, I'm grateful for a lot of things.

Not in its order of importance, I'm grateful for:

1. Some desk time. 
2. Me time.
3. My new Kindle Paperwhite. 
4. Being able to finish reading The Perks Of Being A Wallflower.
5. Friends. Old and new. 
6. Time to work out. 
7. Healthy, organic food. 
8. Skye. 
9. His penchant for planning ahead. 
10. His corny but cute rhymes. 
11. My Mom. 
12. My Dad. And his coming around.
13. Abbygale. 
14. My own parking in the office --- because it's soooo hard to get one. 
15. My best friends. 
16. Being able to catch up with Ian.
17. Being able to convince him to get back into the circulation.
18. Coffee. 
19. Hot chocolate. 
20. My cozy apartment.
21. My cupboard and ref filled with so much food from Christmas hampers. 
22. Good health.
23. Unexpected windfall.
24. Reliable team members. 
25. My efficient admin assistant. 

What a blessed life. :-)

Wanderlust with Skye

My tickets for Chinese New Year celebration have been booked. 

I'm all set for the Holy Week holiday as well. 

For a change. 

Hmmm...I can get used to this. It's nice to just get the tickets in my Inbox for printing. Dang, we even have a Dropbox folder for all our plane tickets. 

Thanks for planning ahead. I'll make it up by researching on the itinerary.  

New Year's Eve

Woke up very early today. By very early, it's 6am for me on a non-working holiday, with no alarm to disrupt my sleep. 

Off to dear ol' Chinatown today with Skye. I hope the shops and restos are open since it's going to be his first time. 

Last day of the year.

Let's make the most!!! 

Grateful morning

Today, I woke up with a grateful heart.

I had a good sleep. I opened my eyes and woke up to a beautiful morning. I was locked in a wonderful embrace with the new love.

I have a crazy but loving family. I have loyal friends.

God gave me everything that I need. Even more.

Grateful. Just really grateful for everything.

Merry Christmas!

After gift-giving, slept in between my 2 loves who planked me so tightly there was not enough space for me! Woke up this morning with my Mom's cooking wafting through the air, my Dad's commanding voice, my Yaya bustling in the kitchen to help and messages from my one and only sissy. Aaah. Family. The best gift that God has given me. Thank you. I am ever blessed. Happy birthday, JC!

In moments of weakness and the comfort of reassurance

Quiet time after a week of chaos. 

La familia just left barely half an hour ago. I cherish Sundays because it's time spent with the family. I won't trade it for anything. 

And no matter how wasted I am from a Saturday night party, I will NEVER EVER skip church service and worship. It's 3 and a half hours, not normal for a Catholic service, but it bonded my family ever since I got back to Manila. I can't believe that my Dad will even religiously go - pardon the pun. 

Skye also just left for the airport. After hearing how miserable I was last Monday, he just decided to fly in for the weekend, although we agreed to spend my birthday late. 

Admittedly, we spent the entire Saturday sleeping in and recovering from exhaustion --- flights to and fro, partying, long days and nights in the office --- they took their toll on us both. We needed to peel ourselves out of bed since we had to pick J. up at the airport and go out for dinner-drinks.

I do feel guilty that I couldn't even get to pick him up at the airport. I arrived in my apartment 30 minutes before his plane landed - after celebrating a girlfriend's birthday and hanging out with the new gay circle. 

The weekend flew by --- just like that. I didn't even realize how Sunday just came and went. I guess that's really how it is when you feel happy and you're having so much fun. 

I went through a bout of depression just a few days ago. October is an emotionally loaded month for me. I honestly don't know how I will go through it --- because I look forward to it and I dread it at the same time. 

This weekend, I was comforted by my family's love and how Skye moved heaven and earth just to be here and reassure me.  

The emptiness and misery that I felt was replaced by so much love, care and concern from the people who matter and who made me matter in their lives. 

Life is too short to be spent miserably. Whilst October, for sure, will give me one hell of an emotional roller coaster ride (as it normally does --- and it never fails!!!), I will cherish every moment of it.  

That's how life is. It takes misery to appreciate simple joys and the gift of love. 

To my family - my Mom, Dad, Abby and ate Cita --- thank you for giving me the sense of purpose that I need. Thank you for your unconditional love that I sometimes take for granted. 

To Skye: thank you for your friendship. Thank you for taking the risk. Thank you for falling in love with me despite the awareness that it won't be easy. 

Notwithstanding the momentary plunge into a dark place, I know things will get better from here. 

I just need to remind myself in moments of weakness. 

It's been one hell of a great week, after all.