gratitude list 11.06

thanks to:
3 - kim, for a fun fun fun friday.
4 - my niece, for being so cute.
5 - my new bedsheets and newly-cleaned electric fan, for a good night's sleep.
8 - ib ville guesthouse, for a speedy transaction. we already have a place to stay in for our south korea trip in november, yay!
10 & 11 - the universe, for a fun productive weekend with movies, books and friends on the side.
11 - kim, for attending a kpop dance class with me.
14 - kim, for surprising me; and the universe, for the 10 wonderful years so far.
17 & 18 - hotel h2o and manila ocean park, for the relaxing and fun weekend.
19 - my nephew, for always making me feel missed. please stay a kid a little bit longer.
21 - the rain, for inspiring me to be creative. check out these book-gifts i wrapped using twisted paper and wire as "adhesive."

23 - manong padyak and co., for braving the flood to take us home.
24 - the lord, i arrived safely in our provincial home amid the bad weather.
25 - the weather, for improving (partly cloudy but no rains), which allowed me to visit my mamay and my niece.
28 - chictopia, for inspiring me to put up a new blog.

booklat on tumblr

hey, booklover! got a tumblr account? my friend drea started this awesome book club on tumblr. learn more about it here. and please do follow and submit. let's "make every day a happy book day!"

i made my first submission today. wednesdays are for sharing the book/s you are currently reading. i just started reading fragile things by neil gaiman yesterday so i talked a little bit about it.

check out my post here.

what i've been up to lately

well, let's see... over the past week, i finished reading two books: pam pastor's paper cuts and bob ong's ang mga kaibigan ni mama susan (the friends of mama susan). both were easy to ready; it took me less than two hours to finish each.

i am currently reading my first neil gaiman book, fragile things. so far, so good. i loved the poem the hidden chamber.

last thursday, i got stranded in the office for two hours due to nonstop rains, flooded streets and heavy traffic. i was able to get back to my makati unit via padyak or a bicycle with a sidecar that has a makeshift wooden seat and no roof.

the following morning, i went home to the province anyway. and then kim and i spent the afternoon with my godsons who tired the hell out of us. we are seriously reconsidering having two boys in the future, haha. maybe one will do or borrowing other people's kids once in a while is enough.

on saturday, i went to visit my grandfather with kim and my nephew. please pray that my mamay regains strength. i was also able to chat with my cousins while i was there and i got to meet one of my cousin's new baby. he was so adorable he liked me at first sight, hehe. later in the afternoon, the three of us headed to kfc in lipa with my mom to buy a barrel of 21 fried chickens, haha. i used my megadeals coupon and the crew there was clueless on how to make the transaction. i still got my barrel in the end. kim had to go to work after; while i, my nephew and mom went to my brother's house in malvar to visit my niece.

i was also back to work by sunday. after work, i finally got to update my chicblog over at chictopia. if you also have an account there, you can check my outfit posts under the username "ambebi" or click the badge below.

CHICTOPIA

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yesterday was a busy monday at work. and then last night, i ended up replying to a tweet by bianca gonzalez. she was asking for photos of anyone who has travel tumbling shots like hers. i told her that she was my inspiration for doing headstand shots when i go on beach trips and she sent me a direct message! i was so excited to exchange messages with her but alas as per twitter rules i can't send a dm to a user who is not following me. i tweeted her again but she did not reply na. /fangirling

also last night i can't stop thinking about buying a telescope after reading this "@NatGeo: Got a telescope and live in Southeast Asia? #NatGeo-funded astronomers need your help on.natgeo.com/iwWVxE." i was already dreaming even before i fell asleep. this could have been my chance to be part of a natgeo project. i should have bought a telescope instead of a new camera. i'll make sure that the next time an opportunity like this pops up i already have a telescope of my own.

oh, and i've been using epiduo for a little over two weeks now and i can say the results are promising. i think it really got rid of the blackheads on my nose. i still get pimples but they're not as huge as they used to be and they dry out fast. right now, i just have one tiny pimple on my chin. my face still peels here and there but that's just how epiduo works so i just have to bear with it.

tatay

as a father's day special (better late than later), i am posting this very old photo of mine with my dad. i used to be daddy's girl because people tell me i look like him, heh.

ang aking tatay, mahal kong tatay <3

passport renewal

i first applied for a passport via an agency and all i did was to make an appearance. this time, i tried going through the process on my own.

from green to maroon

 

if you need to renew your passport any time soon, here's what you should do:

1. make an appointment through dfa's website. fill in all the needed information on the online application form and choose your preferred date and time from the available slots.

2. you will receive an email confirmation of your appointment with your reference number and a link to print your application form. use long bond paper when printing. do not sign the application form. you need to sign it at the processing window when the dfa officer tells you to do so. also take note of the documentary requirements you have to prepare.

3. on your appointment date, proceed to the dfa consular office located at aseana business park, bradco avenue cor. macapagal boulevard, paranaque city. be there at least 30 minutes before your scheduled time. you may take a taxi, a baclaran-bound bus or a multicab from sm mall of asia. i took the latter.

4. at aseana, there is counter for verifying your appointment at the ground floor. you will either be advised to wait (if you are too early for your appointment) or proceed to the processing section.

5. next step is to go on the second floor to pay applicable passport fees: php950.00 (regular processing, 25 working days), php1,200.00 (rush processing, 15 working days), additional php 200.00 (for processing of lost valid passports).

6. after paying, proceed to the photo counter and take a number to have your id photo taken, which is the last step. while waiting for your turn, you may proceed to the delivery counter to have your new passport delivered to your home or office on the release date. fee is p150.

i was done within 30 minutes. i was advised to expect my new passport by june 20 but i already got it on june 14.

post-anniversary weekend

kim and i usually go on beach trips for our anniversary. this year, however, we decided to skip the beach trip because we are saving our vacation leaves *and money* for our davao and south korea trips later this year. as i've said in my previous post, we've decided to keep our celebration simple but i later found out that kim still planned a weekend getaway for our anniversary. and it also involved, to some extent, water.

june 17. it was a beautiful summery friday that i felt like we were actually going to the beach. oh that wonderful feeling! so anyway, after lunch, we headed to hotel h2o within the manila ocean park in luneta.

below is a photo of the drop-off point where you can have a bellboy assist you with your luggage. valet service is also available if you came in your own vehicle. the hotel rooms are located at the third floor of the main building of the manila ocean park.

we so loved our aqua room! it was not very spacious but we found it just right for a relaxing weekend. the mirrors and glass dividers make up for the lack of space and windows. plus the 34m aquarium that serves as part of the wall was just so awesome. it reminded me of this photo i saw on tumblr. below is the first glimpse of the room upon stepping in:

i hope hotel h2o wouldn't mind if we pattern our future condo unit to that room. though the 34m aquarium is still under consideration due to maintenance issues, heh.

there were still a lot of construction going on around the manila ocean park but there are several stores and restaurants (aside from the main attractions of course) to keep you busy. we were supposed to go swimming the rest of the afternoon but we found out too late that it was an outdoor pool and i forgot to bring sunblock. for dinner, we had our favorite lemon chicken at north park. and then we watched the 6:30 p.m. musical fountain show at aquatica.

ang saya lang ni kim, e! :))

the cast (excuse the photo quality because i just took this using my iphone):

falling, shooting & rising starfish, chef 1 & 2, and the lobster

later that evening, i was having a deep conversation with this fish,

when the door bell rang...

who could it be?

june 18. i woke up around 3 a.m. feeling like i overslept just because it felt so good sleeping in that room. i think the aquarium really helped a lot. i managed to go back to sleep but was awaken every hour or so. it seemed my body was feeling guilty for having such quality sleep.

kim and i finally got up around 7 a.m. we decided to have room service for breakfast (c/o makan makan) para sulit ang bayad sa room, haha. we ate our breakfast while watching glee project on jack tv. i didn't know there was such a show and i ended up too invested in it. i hated this bryce guy so much; i was so glad when he got kicked out.

assorted bread & arroz caldo

we checked out before lunch and headed straight to the oceanarium. we found it cool that the attraction has outdoor and indoor parts. i especially love the jungle feel of the outdoor part.

here is a photo of kim while i was trying to capture him "chasing" a stingray.

i love this unaware photo of myself taken by kim. i was also waiting for the stingray.

we were like little kids, exploring the water world, heh.

we made it to the exit by lunchtime. we ate at pancake house and then watched the sea lion show at aquatica.

meet south american sea lions yeni and isabel:

for our last attraction, we went to jellies dancing sea fairies. i was surprised that i felt so calm with all the jellyfish surrounding me (i had bad sting experience a few years back). the changing light colors of the aquariums and the synchronized swimming of the jellies to pachelbel canon could have lulled me to sleep.

i love this. super effort by kim <3

pink <<<333

instead of heading home, we went straight to sm mall of asia because kim wanted to watch green lantern. the movie wasn't so bad, why was it getting many bad reviews? maybe i didn't hate it because i don't really know the story prior to watching it and i am no movie critic to begin with, heh. though kim agreed that ryan reynolds wasn't a perfect fit for the role. meanwhile, i like it that carol knew almost instantly that green lantern was hal unlike lois who can't tell clark was superman just because of his eyeglasses.

so that was how we spent our post-anniversary weekend. we weren't able to travel far this time of the year, but this trip turned out wonderful. it was very relaxing and fun at the same time. we even agreed the after-feeling was reminiscent of when we came home from hong kong--refreshed but bitin!

p.s. i will try to upload video clips of the fountain and sea lion shows and the "dancing" jellies. keep checking back! i will also be posting more photos and additional information on our travel blog. keep an eye on the side bar. thanks! :)

ten years

june 14. the thing about anniversaries is that we feel like we have to make it better every year, which is not easy to do if we plan to spend a lifetime with each other. but at the end of every anniversary, no matter what we do, we always end up feeling like it is our first and in effect the best we'd ever have.

yesterday marked our 10th anniversary and we kept everything simple. our celebration even started with a hospital visit. kim has been experiencing headaches the past weeks and had to miss work the night before so i forced him to go for a consultation. fortunately, there is a healthway medical clinic at the 4th floor of greenbelt 5 (para diretso date after, hehe) that honored kim's maxicare health card. it was a long two-hour wait and kim still has to go back for additional tests on his eyes and ears. the doctor also told him he needs to gain weight. i don't want to bore you with these medical stuff but please do include him in your prayers. i hope things won't turn out bad.

so, on to our date. first, we had lunch at bonchon in greenbelt 1.

we had the rice meal with chops,

we also tried their kimchi.

and then gift-shopping. i got kim new work clothes,

a pair of driving shoes (and two pairs of president socks),

and a bottle of perfume.

while he made me believe that this was all he got for me, haha.

we then had nyfd merienda (herbed chicken sandwich and fries) while watching super 8. it was good until the alien shows up, heh. tip: stay a bit longer for a clip that would be shown beside the credits.

finally, after the movie, we had dinner at cpk.

7: 38 p.m. photo <3

we were still full so we just had our favorite blt pizza.

throughout the day, there were sudden expressions of disbelief, as always. (wow, a decade! can you believe it?) we also found ourselves reminiscing for the nth time what we were doing (mainly how silly we looked like) minutes before, during and after we officially agreed to become a couple 10 years ago. it still feels like only yesterday, hihi.

ten years. 120 months. 3,652 days. 87,648 hours. 5,258,880 minutes. 315,532,800 seconds. you, numbers, are really amazing. let's keep counting, ayt? <3

oh my heart

forgive me because this is just me blogging at the spur of the moment.

i think a part of me already felt that he was up to something but all the while i was not sure what it could be. i just have these moments sometimes when i have that - a feeling. the whole time that we were together today, i noticed that my heart would suddenly beat irregularly whenever there was even just a split second of silence where i would catch him just looking at me with dreamy eyes. i also realized i was too talkative than usual today just to avoid looking dreamily back at him, haha. para akong tanga! feeling first date?

but he must have been too determined to make this day even more special than it already is (today is our 10th anniversary). instead of parting ways after dinner as planned, he insisted on accompanying me home even though he was already running late for work. upon seeing that my roommate was already home too he reminded me that he forgot to take my outfit shot. so we went outside. i wanted to have the outfit shot taken near the stairs (because it was the only area that was well-lit then and i was also thinking it would be easier for him to leave at once for work after taking an outfit shot of me) but he insisted to go to the veranda. it’s almost full moon, he said.

after taking shots of me, he told me to also take a shot of him. i was happy to do it because i usually have to beg him to pose for me, heh.

i don't know how it happened but when i aimed the camera at him, he was already down on one knee.

i can't remember all the details now but i just remember him asking me, "bebi, will you marry me?" and then i was panicking and i don't know, maybe talking non-sense out of shock. he did not stand up until i finally said, "yes, yes, of course! yes!"

and then we hugged and for i don't know how long, we just stood there hugging each other. and then he asked me if i wouldn't let him put the ring on me and at first i didn't want to give him my hand because i know i was going to cry (several months ago, he “practiced” proposing to me and i cried just seeing him kneeling before me with a ring made of table napkin at mcdo). i think he whispered "akin ka na" after putting the ring on me, haha.

and then fast forward to now. here i am, trying my best to remember everything about how i got this ring on my finger (it’s quite loose but i have a feeling that i will be wearing it to sleep tonight, hihi).

and even now as i type this, i am overwhelmed that after all these years (and talking about getting married since day one, haha), he still thought of giving me that heart-stopping moment of seeing the man of my dreams get down on one knee with a ring and asking me to marry him. <3

i wrote this right after it happened but decided to keep it private (not anymore!) until i've told my parents. the photos were added the day after.

breaking out

june 10. i finally got to visit a dermatologist at humana in makati for a consultation about my pimples. i've never had to deal with pimple problems since freshman college, which was 10 years ago, so i was really bothered that i am getting these pimples (and scars afterwards) now that i am a lot older.

the dermatologist just prescribed me epiduo. she instructed that i apply a pea size all over my face once a day before bedtime.

i've been using it for three nights now. my existing pimples dried out the day after my first application. but my face also started breaking out. this morning the new pimples have also dried out and i noticed the blackheads on my nose was reduced significantly.

epiduo is quite pricey so i don't want to give up on it right now. hopefully my skin will get used to it after a week or two. the derma also told me it would take about six to eight weeks before the pimples clear up and then we can work on how to get rid of the scars. i've also read reviews that in most cases, things will get worse before it gets better. i guess i have to be patient enough for best results.

movies, books, friends

june 10. after lunch, kim and i saw x-men: first class at eastwood mall for p5 each, hehe. kim had to force me into watching these x-men movies with him. i even fell asleep in one of them (i don't remember which one). but this one kept we awake from beginning to end (too bad there was no bonus clip after the credits). i find professor x boring, though, hehe. and i hate that wasp girl, angel.

while waiting for the 1:30 p.m. screening, we just lounged at one of the sofa's and take photos of my nails featuring my diy newspaper nail polish.

how? see instructions here.

later in the evening we met up with cy, ian and ice for the french film festival at edsa shangri-la mall. we caught the 9 p.m. show of the 1985 film sans toit ni loi by agnès varda. it stars sandrine bonnaire as mona bergeron, a vagabond who was found frozen in a ditch one winter morning in france. the film basically showed mona's life leading to her death through flashbacks and interviews with people she encountered while camping out.

before the movie, we had dinner at sango!

i tried this chicken curry burger. it was good but i didn't recognize any hint of chicken curry.

kim had the chicken teriyaki burger, which i have tried before and i know it's good.

i also had my favorite strawberry soda; while kim had a coffee shake.

after the movie, we met up with kate for tambay at starbucks. we went home around 2 a.m. we still have it, haha!

cy missed the photo ops :(

june 11. armed with barbecue shake shake fries from mcdonald's, kim and i finally saw kung fu panda 2 in 3d at greenbelt 3. it's a super cute movie! i don't know why we waited this long to see it, haha. (side note: we just noticed the automatic escalators at greenbelt. cool and efficient!)

right after the movie, kim headed to work while i met up with the bookswap group at starbucks 6750.

kate, drea, kat, eliza, jaykie, moi & ice

with bookswap newbie ice :)

i finished one book from my first swap, turtle moon by alice hoffman. i happened to start reading it last month and coincidentally the book was set in this place called verity, where all the weird stuff are supposed to happen in may. and so i vowed to finish it before may ends and i did, yay!

let the bookswap begin!

i ended taking home these three books. i promise to try finishing these and the other 12 books on my tbr list by 2013, hahaha!

this cute little girl wanted to join our group but she can't read, heh.

i was home by 1:30 a.m. what is puyat for two straight days? team teenage dream *\0/* (a.k.a. we'll be young forever!)