Sweet Pre-Christmas Treat

I've waited for such a long time for this night to happen: The Chicas Christmas Dinner! Since Kay, Lexie, and Yanee have graduated, Meryl and I, despite the free time we have because of thesis and just one class, I rarely get to see the three. Sure there have been coffee and lunch meetups in between, but it's nothing like the grand reunion that happened tonight!

Can I just say that we are oozing with cheese? We decided to dine at Chef d'Angelo at Glorietta 5. It comes with memories, you know. Well, at least the one at Glorietta 2 before the place got bombed. Haha. If Meryl remembers it right (which I'm sure is pretty accurate), the Chicas had lunch at Chef d'Angelo during our first term break when we were in first year college. Hihi, see, how apt a place for reuniting! Anyway, we had coffee and desserts as Bo's afterwards, where we did our traditional and never planned exchanging of gifts! Bonus, bonus: cute barista/busboy! Hahaha! Boy, have we all grown. Ang lalandi na, kaloka! Haha!

Photos from Kay's camera! Thank you, Beggie!

My "since we'll all be corporate girls soon, here's a business card case and key chain" gift to everyone! Haha.

I particularly don't fancy this group photo of ours (even though the cute Bo's busboy took it HAHA like it matters) because I look crop-able. Like, in a bad way. Look how estranged I seem. Just saying.

Ah, this one, I like! I LOVE THESE GIRLS TO DEATH. No question.

It's always awesome to be with these girls. College would never have been this memorable without Kay, Meryl, Lexie, and Yanee. More of these soon? Definitely.

Day Out With Joe and Tina

What is up with me and lunch-ing lately? In order for me to stop missing my friends, I turn to bonding over food. Haha. First, there was coffee with Yanee, then lunch and gelato with AJ, Aly, Jem, and Raphie, then lunch with Memzie and Kay, then there was lunch, coffee, and karaoke with Yanee, and today, lunch, dessert, coffee, and fro-yo with Joh.

And I'm wondering why I gained 3-5 pounds in a matter of weeks. Hah!

AND MY POINT ENDS HERE. The rest is just word vomit.

What up, Joe? HAHA. Can you guess who Tina is?

So what up with the title? We had our usual post lunch coffee, Joh and I. And I have this way of giving false names to Starbucks baristas cos if I said "Cee" I'd have to spell it out and they'd still get it wrong. Yeah. I'm lazy like that, I don't wanna explain myself. Haha. So I was baptized with "Tina" one fateful Starbucks afternoon, thanks to my good friend Jess. I used that name ever since. Anyway. Joh said "Joh" when she was asked, she even spelled it out. And I said "Tina" duh. So there, wala lang. Haha. Told you it's just word vomit.

Anyway, speaking of vomit. I felt like hurling while in the cab, on my way home. I am yet to figure out what the real problem is but I have three theories:

1. I'm pregnant [Tss, yeah right, haha]
2. It's the bad combination of Conti's Seafood Au Gratin, Russian Potato Salad, Mango Bravo; Starbucks Grande Hazelnut Latte; California Berry Original with Peaches topping frozen yogurt. [I have a strong feeling that THIS is the culprit!]
3. It's yow-know-what. After a looong time, it got too much today, I guess. Haha. [Oops?]

La la la. I'm working tomorrow. We're talking physical work, manual labor! Let's go, LPEP production crew! Do us proud! :>

Lucky Me!

Luck was on my side today. Last night, one of my best friends, Yanee, asked if I had anything planned for today. In fact, I did; I was supposed to do org stuff (yes, on a summer vacation day) in the afternoon, but I thought, "Hmm, lunch with one of the Chicas (IMY, Chicas) won't hurt."

So I did squeeze in that lunch date before heading to school. Turns out, I didn't have "squeeze in" anything at all because my engagements were postponed to next week! (Oh dear, that means next week will be busier than expected and planned. But, hakuna matata!)

Awesome bonding day with Yanee! Starbucks Coffee and endless chat plus yow-know-what-I-mean-smug-smug.
But, you wanna know the best part? We're both in a bad state of financial crisis. HAHA. We're peasants. Thanks to the coupons that came with my Starbucks 2010 Planner, we were able to get a great deal. It's a steal, I tell you!
Above: one venti white mocha frappe (P160), one venti mocha frappe (P150), two servings of cinnamon swirl [?] (P55 each)! All that for a grand total of... P270! Haha! We got the first venti at regular price and the one of less or equal value is on the house! In all, we spent so little, even less than a tall-sized frappe! Haha! :)
See? See? Awesome. Haha. Oops, the receipt looks battered and gross. Hahaha. Pardon our excitement. Haha!
And this is our after-birit look. Ngarag much? Hahaha. We spent P108 for 9 songs on the karaoke! Whooo, Aegis songs never fail. Total Eclipse of the Heart is another favorite. La la la. And theeen, we went window shopping for a while. Looking for the best bikini top. By best, I mean cheap (like really cheap, cos I'm a cheapskate like that haha) and okay-enough. I'm no beach bum anyway, so a P200+ bikini top (that's violet!) is A-OK. :) I have photos, but I'd rather not... Hahaha. Next time when I have a smaller tummy. Mwahaha!

Best Weekend Yet

I believe I had the best weekend of the year yet.

Last Tuesday, I received news about what lies ahead for me in the next three terms of the incoming school year. I pulled an MIA (missing in action) Wednesday because the news from Tuesday has not sunk in yet. Oh, and because I had to cram a project and study for an exam. Thursday was another MIA day, but mostly from obligations and other responsibilities. It was a chill-day Thursday where everything's already perfect except for the parental issues that come and go. Frustrating.

Anyway, I'm here to word-vomit about my weekend. And to me, and other four-day-class week students, the weekend starts on a Friday!

Friday was awesome! I spent the whole day with my best bud, Bru! We went Greenhills shopping in the morning, lunch at Savory Chicken, chilled at Gelatissimo, a little more shopping at Greenbelt in the early afternoon, and wasted away chatting at Starbucks until sundown. I missed Bru so much, and now that he's back in Davao, I miss him again! And very late that night, I sat and bonded over coffee with my mom and two ate cousins! Looong day but it was hella good.

Zippo necklace I bought for my bud for P80!

At Topman. Yes, we both tried on a shirt. No problem for him, see. Ugh, I can be such a boy sometimes! Haha!

Chilled at Gelatissimo! Love you, bud!

Goofing with my mom at Bo's Coffee. Two cousins' photos were too goofy for this entry that they might have me killed if I put them up. Haha! Baboy! (Inside-joke!)

Saturday was majorly super mega ultra awesome! I met up with Lexie at the MRT Magallanes Station so we could go to the Shang together. We met up with thesis-mates Tracy and Nadine, went to Cartwheel Foundation, Inc. (their chosen organization for thesis) where Joh was, to help them prepare for the night of their lives, the event!

I got to do what I do best, event production! Well, by best, I may not be that good, but event production is something I believe I can really manage long-term. I acknowledge all the panic and stress pre-, during, and post-production. It's part of a long process that involves mega fulfillment in the end! So, to my three amazing friends: Joh, Tracy, and Nads, thank you for giving me the opportunity to take part in producing your event! I know I do those stuff in GMG but I think your event gave me satisfaction that's totally in a different league!

Being the Green Media Group person that I am, I spent an awful lot of time running from the stage, where the AVP was located, then up the tech booth for lights and sounds. Above is me taking a breather in the tech booth. Hahaha.
[Photo courtesy of Therese Ong]

Oops? Photo size fail? Haha. Okay, I'm lazy to re-upload. Make do with this, please. Thanks. Haha. So above is a photo of 8 lovely Org Comm girls as production crew; 3 thesis-ers and 5 friendly helpers. Haha. Plus! The thesis group's mentor and three other professors from the panel. Congrats again, girls! ;)
[Photo courtesy of Lexie Cerezo's camera. I think. Haha!]

How nice is it that the event title fit squarely with what the night really was? A NIGHT TO REMEMBER: Cartwheel Foundation, Inc.'s recognition dinner held at The Legend Villas, Mandaluyong City. A night worth remembering, definitely.

AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME.