Our Christmas Together!

It was indeed a fun (and melodramatic) Christmas 2013 for Martin and I!!!

This year, we decided to create and give gifts as a couple, yung nakalagay sa signatory, “with love from Martin and Edz”.  Kopol na kopol e, haha! It’s fun because this is both our FIRST TIME of signing gifts coming from the two of us. It doesn’t seem yucky or cheesy because I think we’re both, or rather I am (yikes!), of age to do something like this. Tumatanda na.

Some of the gifts we received were labeled as “To Martin and Edz”, haha! Wala lang, nakakatuwa yung feeling that people indeed recognize us as a couple. It’s exciting for me because Martin is my first boyfriend (and so I am, too, Martin’s first girlfriend) and this is all a FIRST TIME for US! Ganito pala yung feeling, parang high school lang kung kiligin, hahaha!

 We bought the raw ingredients for a homemade salsa, including the containers, from SnR then we cut and hand-painted EACH of the Christmas cards. Ang saya habang ginagawa naming ito kasi talagang TEAM EFFORT! Woohoo APIR! I took care of the packaging and handwriting (because that’s all what my limited knowledge in preparing/cooking can do) then Martin took care of preparing the salsa. We weren’t able to deliver the gifts together though, as the salsa needed to be distributed once it was prepared; so Martin took care of that.

Our hand-painted gift cards! Yey!

Clockwise from top: That's me taking a selfie on Martin's bed; Martin hard at work at his card. Notice the human anatomy book that we used as hard board, haha!; our hand-painted Christmas gift cards, yey!; another shot of Martin concentrating on what he's doing, haha! Take note of the watercolor palette--- this belongs to my Papa pa! Mga taong 90's pa yang palette na yan, buhay pa! Galing ni Prang; or magaling lang pumili yung Papa ko ng painting materials :)

The finished product! :) That's my handwriting right there on the container's body, haha! Self-proclaimed YUMMY!

What even made us happier is that people found our “Yummy Homemade Salsa” good to eat!  Hooray for my love, Martin! Galing galing magluto! Ako naman, ang galing galing kong mag-cheer! Woohoo! Go, go Martin! Go go go Martin, go! Hahaha! Indeed I am blessed with someone who can cook really good dishes, something extraordinary. Masaya ako sa ganung skill because I love to eat. And what can be more special and happier than eating the dishes of my one true love? (Shet eto talaga, ang cheeeesy na, yuuuuuck! Cut for commercial break!)

Martin and I goofing around and taking photos on Christmas Day :)

But aside from time spent together, we also spent time with our respective families this Christmas. Of course, this is a time where we should spend precious moments with our loved ones. Martin’s family was complete except for his twin brother; and mine too was complete, together with the apos that bring us such joy in the family. Martin prepared a feast for his family which he decided to share with us too. Sobrang dami magluto ni Martin pwede niyang i-sheyr sa amin, haha! And my family did enjoy his stupendous cooking.

This may be a late greeting from Martin and I, but we hope you guys all had a 

WONDERFUL and MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

On cleaning up after eating at fast food restaurants in the Philippines

Wouldn't it be great  if you can contribute in making this world a better place if you can just clean up after yourself  after dining in a fast food restaurant?

Late at night after office hours, I normally dine by myself at Jollibee or McDonald's PHILCOA. I make it a point that after eating, I put all rubbish on the tray, wipe the table with a napkin, and carry the whole tray onto the dispensing area. Isn't that just neat for the next customer to sit at your table? Doesn't that make the life of the cleaning staff easier?

All it takes is a bit of effort and a conscience for the environment and for the people around you.

Be a good citizen. CLEAN AS YOU GO.

Interesting guide for Wine Beginners

A nice guide:

 www.businessinsider.com/wine-folly-beginners-wine-chart-2013-11

Richard and Jonalyne's Wedding + Mini College Classmates Reunion

If June is a month of weddings, so is December. 

December 1, 2013, our good friends Richard Relator and Jonalyne Jose decided to get married in an elegant and lavish wedding ceremony in Tagaytay. It was a splendid wedding with Jo wearing a very beautiful gown that made her radiant amid the black sea of men in their suits and women in their olive green gowns. Richard was in a tux, looking handsome as ever. The ceremony took place in the kapilya of the Iglesia ni Cristo in Tagaytay. It was my first time to attend an INC gathering and it moved me. What moved me was how the pastor weaved the readings from different Bible scriptures into one coherent piece. Ang galing e,talagang hinango from different books in the Bible tapos meron siyang coherent theme tapos lahat ng magiging actions mo are Bible-based. Ang galing lang talaga.

Reception took place at Ville Sommet in Tagaytay City. The venue is big enough to fit, I think, 500 guests. Notice the real fountain behind the couple's bench and how beautiful the draped ceilings are with the old-style chandeliers. The cake at Chi and Jo's wedding is intricately designed and very classy. The centerpiece at every table is simple yet elegant.

The reception was held in Ville Sommet, not sure how big was the ground area, but it was a beautiful, sprawling, architecturally pleasing place to be in. The landscape architecture was also beautiful, with the plants matching the theme of Ville Sommet. One of the wonderful things about this wedding is how hands-on and creative Jo can be when it comes to the details. This camera you see below was Jo's idea. Also the marmalade giveaway and the corsage/boutonniere name plate that was given to us to find our table number. Ang galing nung attention to details. And I think it was Jo's brainchild, all of this small details. Jo, if ever you're reading this, can I ask for your services to be my future wedding's creative director? Hahaha! Thanks in advance, hahaha! Kapal lang ng mukha! :)

Each table was provided with an instamatic film camera for you to take photos of the people seated at your table and whatever good moments the wedding has. Natuwa ako sa concept na iyon, yung may camera per table tapos picture picture kayo. I also took photos of the bride and groom, garapalan lang pagpunta sa harap at pagtawag ng atensyon nila habang nagffirst dance, haha! The principal sponsor's table was long and elegantly set. Outside the wedding reception area was Ville Sommet's grounds lit by tea light candles in jars--- very beautiful sight at night.

Hooray for the bride and groom!!! Congratulations and best wishes to Richard and Jonalyne for tying the knot! **it's a trap!** Just kidding! :)

The photographs below were our photobooth pictures taken at the wedding. Even after more than seven years of living separate lives, hindi pa rin nawawala yung kakengkoyan ng isa't-isa--- that attitude that makes every person in the block unique. College friends are indeed priceless to have. Lahat ng kaek-ekan nung college, alam na alam niyo pa rin at syempre, pinagtatawanan niyo pa rin ito. Ang tagal na ng panahon na magkakasama tayo guys, more than ten years!!! And I get so DAMN GIDDY every time we see each other :) I am VERY HAPPY to have these set of friends way back in college. And it makes me even HAPPIER that until now, we are all still friends :) How fast time flies talaga, ang dami nang may baby at asawa sa batch natin at mga ikakasal pa in the future. Ang saya-saya how our lives evolved into something mature, and I thought hindi na ako mag-eevolve sa stage na yan, hindi na ako magmemetamorphose, forever caterpillar na lang! Hahahaha!

From the bottom of my heart, congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Richard and Jonalyne Relator and big I love you to all my chem/biochem blockmates! :)

MABUHAY ANG CHEM/BIOCHEM 102!!!