MWAH!

"Be with a guy who ruins your lipstick,

not your mascara."

-- Glamour, September 2012

MWAH!
Out on a date at Cyma, Shangrila Mall.
My lipstick: Perpetual Plum by L'Oreal.

AWESOME!

MY CURRENT READ

"Polar ice caps are melting, hurricanes swirl in the seas, wars are heating up around the world, and the job market is in a deep freeze.

Whoa. It's getting pretty ugly out there.

That's why one chilly spring night I started a tiny website called 1000 Awesome Things...

I never imagined that writing about finding money in your old coat pocket, the smell of gasoline, or watching The Price Is Right when you're at home sick would amount to anything.

It seems like maybe these tiny little moments make an awesome difference in many of our rushed, jam-packed lives. Maybe we all love snow days, peeling an orange in one shot, and popping bubble wrap.

Maybe we're basically all the same...

With so much sad news and bad news pouring down upon us, it's fun to stop for a minute and share a universal high five with the rest of humanity."

-- N.Pasricha


Among the awesome experiences listed on the book, these made me say "So true!":

1. When cashiers open up new checkout lanes at the grocery store
2. Having a whole row to yourself on the plane
3. Being the first table to get called up for the dinner buffet at a wedding
4. Finding out your birthday is on a Friday or Saturday
5. Using hotel lobby bathrooms when you're out walking around
6. Taking your bra off after wearing it for hours
7. Waiters and waitresses who bring free refills without asking 
8. When the thing you were going to buy is already on sale
9. Finding your keys after looking forever
10. Finally remembering a word that's been on the tip of your tongue for so long
11. The smell of frying onions and garlic
12. Finding money in your pocket

And the list goes on. I'm still reading the book. And you know what? I'm actually not in a rush to finish it. I'm savoring the list. Ninanamnam ko talaga, haha. It's such a happy read!

***

If I were to come up with my personal list, I'll definitely include our recent AWESOME experiences (that I must blog about, in detail, soon):

1. The realization that our 'wealth' is not in the form of SUVs or designer bags, but in being able to afford  our Singapore Adventure and a very comfortable 'career break.'
2. No-alarm-clock work-day Mondays. 
3. What tops working in your SG home, in your pajamas? Earning SGD in Manila! 
4. Enrolling in not just one but three film schools. So happy for my Hubby!
5. A viral campaign for a shampoo brand. A TVC for a pain reliever. So proud of you, Baby!
6. Applying for a Junior Management position, and getting hired for a Senior Management position. In an industry I've been eyeing. So excited!
7. Our new worlds: film, advertising, retail, marketing, events. 
8. Our parents telling us how proud they are of us. *sniff, sniff*
9. Spending time with someone so young and inspiring, as she wins over the Big C.
10. Seeing a family stay so strong throughout their grieving. 
11. The comfort from having strong family ties. 
12. Tita Time. 
13. Road trips that allow you to have long, heart-to-heart talks with best friends. 
14. Welcoming and ending each day with your Life Partner. 
15. Living the truth in "God's Plans are greater than your dreams." 

TRULY AWESOME!

Thank you, God. 

A TIME FOR EVERYTHING

There is a time for everything,
a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

-- Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8



We enjoyed our time in Singapore.
Now, it's time to pursue new dreams.

-- A & J

LIVE FULLY RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE

With an expiration of less than twelve hours,

what does Jesus count as all most important? 

"And he took bread, GAVE THANKS and broke it, 

and gave it to them..." (Luke 22:19 NIV).

Jesus offers thanksgiving for even that which will break Him and crush Him 

and wound Him and yield a bounty of joy.

As long as thanks is possible, then joy is always possible. Joy is always possible. 

Whenever, meaning-now; wherever, meaning-here.

Thanksgiving is the evidence of our acceptance of whatever He gives. 

Thanksgiving is the manifestation of our "Yes!" to His grace.

-- a few of my favorite lines from my current read, 

Ann Voskamp's 

"ONE THOUSAND GIFTS: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are."

PERFECT TIMING.
Thank you to KLG and The Today Show
for the recommendation.

'Thank you' are among my favorite words. My Gratitude Journal is among my most valuable possessions. That's why I easily gravitated to the book One Thousand Gifts.

Living in gratitude is easy through good times, tough through bad. But because I've experienced the truth in this -- The holy grail of joy is not in some exotic location or some emotional mountain peak experience. The joy wonder could be here! Here, in the messy, piercing ache of now...(Ann Voskamp) -- I choose to give thanks, no matter what.

As the book reminds us, Jesus revealed the secret to happiness, through his own example. In his dying hours, He still chose to give thanks. (Mamamatay na, papatayin na, nagpapasalamat pa rin.) The greatest thing is to give thanks for everything. He who has learned this knows what it means to live.


Today, I'm especially grateful for:

1. Our Amazing Adventure. Wow.
2. Thank you, God, for the wonderful opportunity. 
3. Thank you for all the life-enriching experiences.
4. New perspectives. 
5. The next chapter. 
6. The new road.
7. New Dreams
8. Stronger Faith
9. Our marriage. 
10. Our families. 
11. Tita Time!
12. Our friends.
13. Good health.
14. Our lovely home.
15. Our quiet little life. 
16. Freedom!
17. Current work set-up. (Pwedeng ganito?! Bongga.)
18. Because it can get too hot -- Thank you for cold showers, the swimming pool, the air con, and finally some rain!
19. Successfully crossed-over to advertising after doing TV for more than a decade. 
20. The opportunity of crossing-over into another dream industry. *praying*
21. The reminder to be cautious as to who you let into your life. 
22. Ikea
23. Today's errand was finished in less than an hour. We're pleasantly surprised. 
24. Thai massage. Pinoy dinner. American Idol.
25. Jessica Sanchez. We're in awe of the girl's talent. She's been making a lot of people, especially Pinoys, happy and proud. Final results in a few hours!
26. Be grateful that God doesn't grant us everything we want. Instead, He provides us with everything we need. 
27. God's Plans are greater than our dreams. (I never imagined I'd be where I am now. Again, pwede pala 'to?! Bongga.)
28. Thank you, God, for loving us the way you do. 

Try starting your own Gratitude Journal. List everything you're grateful for. Not of gifts you want but of gifts you already have. That's the dare to LIVE FULLY right where you are. 

HO CHI MINH CITY SIGHTSEEING

Limited Days + Tight Budget = DIY City Tour. That's a travel formula that works for Hubby and me. We say no to tour packages. And yes to research, long walks and the possibility of getting lost (part of the adventure!).

I'm sharing five of the city spots we got to see during a long weekend in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. All these are located within District 1 (where our budget hotel was also situated). We would have wanted to explore the city more but due to time and budget constraints, we stayed in one district. The perks of that decision: we got to enjoy leisurely walks and long delicious meals.



(1) The Reunification Palace
135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

It was the presidential home and work place when Vietnam was divided into North and South. Today, the palace marks the end of the war, just like the fall of the Berlin Wall, as the North Vietnamese tank crashed its gates in April 1975.

It's now a museum. Open daily. 7:30-11:30am; 1-5pm.

Entrance fee: VND 20,000 per head (that's less than Php50)

The Reunification Palace's facade

Inside the Reunification Palace. Very '70s.

(2) The Notre Dame Cathedral

No. 1 Cong turong Cong xa Paris Street. 

A mere 5-minute walk from the Reunification Palace.

Built from 1863-1880, it's over one thousand five hundred years old!

We're charmed by the cathedral's French colonial beauty.

(3) The Central Post Office

2 Paris Commune Street, District 1

Right beside the Notre Dame Cathedral.

Me to Hubby upon reaching the entrance: "We're in Paris!" 

It's one of the oldest buildings in HCMC, built between 1886 and 1891. But the more interesting tidbit for me: It was designed by Gustave Eiffel of the Eiffel Tower. Wow. 

It looks more like a 20^th century railway station in Europe than a post office in Asia. Agree?

The phone booths bring you back in time.

Such pretty tiles.
(Those are my "super sulit sa lakad" black ballet flats. Very comfortable pair from Zara.)

Viet Comm. Post, pay phone, cell phone. 

(4) The Saigon Opera House

Along Le Loi Avenue

Around three blocks away from the Central Post Office

Lovely French Colonial architecture.

(5) Ho Chi Minh City Hall
86 Leh Thanh Ton Street
A block away from the Opera House.


Another charming French Colonial building.

In front of the City Hall is the very pretty Ho Chi Minh garden square.

Eavesdrop on a conversation from this date:

• My photography-enthusiast Hubby to Me: Gumagaling ka ng kumuha ah. 
• Me: *kilig* I have the best mentor kasi. *kiss*

Yes, our marriage's motto is "Love your own." And I'm unabashedly cheesy. Hehe.



Anyway, we'd love to go back to HCMC for a tour of the Mekong Delta, Saigon River and the Cu Chi Tunnels naman. God-willing...

AT THE SAM

"Wish you were here." 

That's the overseas text message I sent Hubby when I visited the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) on my own last month. (See earlier post about it.) 

Headless Superman.
"No One Can Save Us." Mojoko + Eric Foenander

So when he came back from Manila, I made sure he'd see the wonderful SAM exhibits too. To me that's among the signs that you really love someone - you want everything to be shared experiences. 

We had a SAM date one Friday. Yes, I made sure Friday night (6-8pm) para free admission uli, yey!

Silly at the SAM
(Di kita pose ko.)

Amazing LED lights installation. 

"V" by Li Hui.

More from the Chimera exhibit.

From one of the Learning Galleries.

From the Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize.

India's entry.

Korea's entry.

The winning entry from the Philippines -- Rodel Tapaya's Pinoy folklore mural.

At first glance this seems like an ordinary Persian rug right?

"Red Carpet," Rashid Rana (Chimera exhibit)

Up close, the artwork reveals photos of slaughtered animals.

Extreme close-up: Extremely bloody!

Now, for the piece that moved me the most. 

"Ash Color Mountains," by Aida Makoto of Japan. It's among the Jurors' Choice Awardees in The Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize.

"From afar, this monumental painting appears like a traditional Eastern landscape painting of the perennial misty mountains."

"However, the details reveal a different story altogether, for the mountains are composed of masses of office workers piled up high." 

"Like many of (the painter's) generation, he was a child of a 'salary man,' many of whom were often absent from the family because of the demands of work."

OMG. Major. Heartbreak. Moment.

Of course I remembered my Dad. He's been an OFW, one of the most talented Civil Engineers / Project Managers in the Middle East, almost all his professional life. We see him only once a year, for 45 days. Good thing we all make the effort to stay close. Snail mail, overseas calls, cassette tape recordings nung '80s!. Skype, Facebook and Face Time ngayon. So although we're physically apart, he's very much present in our lives. And we're close. Surprisingly even closer than some fathers and daughters who've lived under one roof all their lives. Good thing my Mom and Sister have been granted visas to move with him.

I also remembered all my mommy officemates. They'd always wish for more time with their kids. But like the men in the painting, they're forced to be away from the family because of the demands of work. 

Bilib ako sa artwork na ito. Ang tindi ng details! Pero ang mas matindi - the memories and emotions na hinugot niya from me. 

I tried so hard not to cry the first time I saw this. But it was just too powerful. 

We love museums. 

FEB 29

February 29, a day that comes only every four years. It's made even more special as it marks our very First Date, twelve years ago. Read about that First Date here. 

We celebrated at celebrity chef Mario Batali's Pizzeria Mozza, at The Shoppes, Marina Bay Sands. According to our research it's among the more affordable celebrity chef restaurants in Singapore. Totoo naman. See their price list here.

We tried calling to reserve a table, but no one was picking up. Fortunately, we were able to get a table for two, as walk-ins, at around 8pm. 

Hubby and I happily reminisced about that First Date, twelve years ago, kaya tawa kami nang tawa the whole time. Good thing casual dining naman doon, hehe. Pwede maingay.

MOZZA-rap!

Bone marrow al forno: To die for! Sinfully good.
Aaminin ko, I ate most of it.

Meat Lovers' Pizza with mozzarella cheese: Heaven!
Especially for carnivores like us, hehe.

Gelati (Espresso, Olive Oil, Vanilla): Perfect ending!
The olive oil gelati was a pleasant surprise.

Even their appetizer (in the packet)
and raspberry iced tea
were yummy!

Hubby is making a short film on our little celebration. I'll post it as soon as it's done.

To the date that started it all! Love, love, love!

ROAD TO MARRIED BLISS

Hubby's currently into videography and post production. His love for learning is truly an inspiration. Among his recent projects is a series he calls "Silly Shorts: Singapore Snapshots."  

He's a one-man production team. Shaping himself into a "predator" (a broadcasting term): producer, director, writer, videographer, editor, musical scorer, post production artist. Lahat siya lang. Amazing! 

I'm part of his fifth shorty. I agreed to go on-cam with my "lazy look" -- no make-up, hair in a messy bun, wearing a shirt and peasant skirt. We had fun filming all around Singapore. 

The project speaks for itself. Among the many must-haves to the road of "Married Bliss": Stay silly. Have fun together. Do not take yourselves too seriously.No matter where the road leads you, ENJOY THE RIDE!

WHY YOU'RE NOT MARRIED

 There are six reasons why you're not married, according to Tracy McMillan:

1. You're a bitch.
2. You're shallow.
3. You're a slut.
4. You're a liar.
5. You're selfish.
6. You're not good enough.

OK, calm down. 

Bago magwala, read the full article here.

ARE YOU IN A ROMANTIC RUT?

More on marriage, from one of my favorite shows, The Today Show --

• A study revealed that if you're bored in your marriage at 7 years, you'll be in real trouble in 16. (Me to Hubby: We have very good chances of staying crazy in love until our 75th year. Yey!)
• Some people's idea of marriage: "I can lay back, roll out of bed in my sweatpants, never brush my teeth again, and that's unconditional love." To which KLG says, "That's the relationship you have with your dog." (Me: Oh, the perks of being vain. Haha!)
• Tip: You have to try to keep that excitement going. (Me: The operative word there is TRY. Yes, people, it takes effort, from both parties. You don't wait for excitement to happen. You two should make it happen.)

Watch the full segment here.

I'll end this with my favorite marriage quote (chanced upon this when I read the book, "Committed"):

"There is no greater risk than matrimony.

But there is nothing happier than a happy marriage."

-- Benjamin Disraeli

ROLES WE PLAY

Today I'm in awe of the many hats life allows us to wear.  

HATS OFF
to a great balancing act!
Photo credit: bluesunstudio-inc.com

My favorite roles: being my life's Leading Lady (you should be too!) and being Hubby's Life Partner. 

Next on the list: Daughter, Sister, Tita, Cousin, Friend.

Being a Colleague, Teammate, Blogger, Copywriter, Project Manager, Events Host, Stylist, Teacher, Student, Classmate, Neighbor, Churchmate, Relative, Acquaintance, Tourist have / had their moments.

I'm grateful that the past months gave me the opportunity to wear more hats. That of:

1. Early Retiree. (Wow that sounds old. Lol.)
2. Dreamer.
3. New Kid on the Block. (In a foreign land.)
4. Housemate.
5. Traveler. (Level up from Tourist?)
6. Job Hunter.
7. OFW-wannabe. 
8. Bum. 
9. Freelancer. (Earning in my PJs has its perks.)
10. Soul Searcher. 

So what's next? 

Do I see myself wearing the Balikbayan hat soon? 

WE'RE ON A MAGAZINE

As cover? Wish!

Hubby's back from a short Manila trip. Among his many pasalubong: Yes! (my guilty pleasure, binilin ko talaga) and Health Today (see the article on how to break dating cliches, we were among the interviewees!). Sayang, hindi siya umabot sa March issues ng Preview, Esquire and Rogue. 

Devoured the latest Manila showbiz chismis with Red Ribbon pastillas. Sarap! Ito ang chika: Yes' Best Dressed List does not include Kapuso stars. Mostly Kapamilya (Anne, Gretchen, Dawn, Piolo, Vice Ganda, Vhong, Kim, John Lloyd, Iza) and isang Kapatid (Lucy). 

Today's simple joy: Our dating philosophies (sabeh?!) are featured on a magazine. "Free yourself from dating cliches," Health Today magazine, February 2012 (Iya Villana on the cover). 

Here's the article, found on page 69. (Nice one, JVR. Thank you.) 
Photo: No, that's not me and Hubby, hehe.

The dating cliches, according to the write-up:

Cliche #1: That dates should be for special occasions.

(Out On a Date: Go for daily dates. Make every "ordinary" day count.) 

Cliche #2: You need money to have a good date.
(Out On a Date: Long walks, stargazing, reading in the park cost nothing.)

Cliche #3: Valentine's Day is exclusive to couples or ladies.
(Out On a Date: Try family road trips, barkada reunions, food or historical walks...)

Cliche #4: The date has to be well-planned.
(Out On a Date: Be spontaneous. Get lost in a new city.)


What's your day's simple joy?

LOVE PRESCRIPTION

Hubby got everything to help ease my pain.

Cut my right thumb with my umbrella last week. Don't ask me how. I'm engot that way.

I'm really so blessed to have a Hubby who rushed to the neighborhood mall to buy everything I needed for the wound. Including Oreo McFlurry! "To help ease the pain." *sniff, sniff*

After I washed with soap and water, he dressed the wound. And did so every day. The wound's totally healed by now. Thanks to my personal Nurse-Doctor.

Just want to share a prescription for a happy, loving relationship: Be each other's Ultimate Caregiver.

HAPPY HEARTS DAY

We don't do Valentine's. Read previous post about it here. Our dates, little acts of love, exchange of "I love yous" are not confined to February 14. We're mushy all year round. If you're into it, hope you had a Happy Hearts Day! To each his own. Walang basagan ng trip. Lol.

But I have a confession: I fell in love with the Google doodle for Valentine's 2012. 

The message is so simple and true -- love is never about the stuff. As a couple who's more into living an enriching life than a rich life, relate na relate kami. *teary eyed*

Washington Post puts it perfectly, "...the determined boy inadvertently finds the answer that was before him all along: The jump rope is the ultimate heartstring to pluck. Together, at last, in rhythm, their hearts skip a beat."

Awww.

IS HE THE ONE?

Did I instantly know that Hubby was The One? No. We weren't even talking as friends (only as distant colleagues) before our supposed "blind date." But after that date, I did wonder - Could he be the one? The question crossed my mind because (1) He got me talking sharing. I trusted him with personal stories on that very first date. A first in my dating life. Actually, a first in my life. All my friends know it takes awhile for me to open up. But with J it all just happened naturally. (2) On that first date, we enjoyed talking to each other so much na halos mapagsarhan na kami sa Uva! As in nakaligpit na lahat ng tables and chairs, except ours. Kami na lang ang customers sa resto. Ang dilim na. And the staff was giving us that "Hindi pa po kayo uuwi" look. Lol. 

So when did I know for sure? When we were already boyfriend and girlfriend. Our relationship revealed that He was more than I prayed for, the Life Partner I'd want to grow old with. For details, read about our altar date vows.

Glamour Feb 2012
All about Valentine's Day
and Men, Men, Men.

Glamour's February 2012 issue has an article on this - Is He The One? I got to read it on the train, sitting beside my dear Hubby. Sa sobrang relate ko, I asked him to read it too (first time for him to read Glamour, hehe). We had such big smiles after finishing the article, mukha siguro kaming sira sa MRT.

Here are bits from the article, dedicated to everyone who's still on the search...



IS HE THE ONE? Actress and comedian Ali Wentworth spent years dating the wrong dudes--but meeting the right one, George Stephanopoulos, set her straight. OK, Ali, share your secrets!


"One of the women wanted to set me up with her friend George...  'Absolutely not. I am not being set up - ever,' I replied. Blind dates sounded like unmitigated hell.

But I am a woman who enjoys a good story. I like to tell them at dinner parties, to strangers on the bus, anywhere I have an audience. (I am an actress, after all.) So when I was in New York for work a few weeks later, I decided to call George Stephanopoulos...I spent my professional days taking risks, so why not do so in my personal life?

He wanted to meet for dinner. I said coffee. We settled on lunch. I thought Barneys was the ideal place; that way if the date were a complete disaster, I could still buy my Kiehl's face cream. I had very low expectations.

We entered the store's bustling restaurant at the same time and were seated in the center of a cacophonous room. And what precipitated over the next hour was, for lack of a more precise word, cosmic. I had never met George, but I felt such ease talking to him. I didn't put on a show or try to be a better version of myself. There was a profound coziness. He was like a down comforter I wanted to live in. And he got me: He understood my humor, my observations and my beliefs the way someone from your own tribe does. It was more than the fact that we both ordered crab salad; it was the feeling that we were home.

And that is how you know: It's never the surface stuff -- Oh, I like sandy beaches and stormy nights too...Nora Ephron got it exactly right with that famous line from When Harry Met Sally..."I knew the way you know about a good melon." It's instinctual. It's from the gut.

We were engaged after two months and married after eight. And during those planning days, I didn't care where we lived, how many kids we had or whether our decor should be modern or traditional. I just knew I wanted to spend my life with George. When you know for sure, you don't dwell on the fantasy of the union: What will my wedding dress look like? Should we serve chicken or fish? What will we name our twin girls and boys? You focus on how he makes you feel -- empowered and beautiful..."

--

How can we not relate to a love story about GEORGE and ALI, who also met on a blind date? *wink*

HUBBY's HAPPY BIRTHDAY

A Happy Birth-Date in Chinatown, SG
20 January 2012

We celebrated hubby's first Singapore birthday in Chinatown (MRT Station: Chinatown. It's along the Purple Line, same as our town, Punggol). Three days to the Chinese New Year, the place was extra festive so it felt like everyone was celebrating with us. Happiness!

Date highlights:

• Authentic foot reflexology c/o very well-trained therapists. Heaven! 
• A mini dimsum feast along the Chinatown Food Street. Yummy! 
• Our devotional prayers that day. Blessed!
• Affirmation: Life is amazing! Singapore was merely a dream during Hubby's birthday last year. And now, eto na, we're actually living the dream. Wow. 

Hubby took a video
of the 45-minute reflexology session
but I'm still unsure whether I want
to expose my tired feet here. Lol.

We love that you don't need dipping sauce for
the dimsum here. Malasa na sila as they are.
I'm not a siopao fan in Manila.
But I'm loving the char siew bao here in SG!

Happy birthday to my Life Partner & Daily Date! I love you. I won't say much here dahil ang haba na ng private birthday message. At yun ang mas mahalaga. *wink* Here's to growing old with you, Baby! Mwah!

UPS AND DOWNS

Birthday message to Hubby: I love that we choose to take the roller coaster over the carousel. *wink* Here's to more life adventures together! Happy birthday to my Life Partner and Daily Date! I love you.

Photo credit: askmissa.com

Life's ups and downs are more bearable, more meaningful, more fun when you go through them with someone you love.


Thank you, God...

1) for allowing us to get off 'that crazy carousel' just in time. Lol.

2) for the 'tickets' to this roller coaster ride

3) for allowing Hubby and me to take this adventure together (Bow ako to those who are on the roller coaster alone!)

4) for allowing this journey to shape us into the best versions of ourselves

5) for the fresh perspectives (seen from the highest of highs and the lowest of lows).


We're so blessed. 

GREATEST GIFTS OF 2011

As 2011 comes to a close, let's all count our blessings. =)

Photo credit: candyfortoes.com

Among the greatest gifts I received this year:

Material

1. iPad2: Hubby's birthday gift to me (Wish come true!)

Non-Material (and far more precious)

1. Fashion school.
2. My birthday gift to me: Freedom! Read more about it here. I'll forever remember 2011 as the year I took the BIG LEAP into the great unknown.
3. Our gift to us: Living out our dream! Hubby and I have been living in Singapore since the last quarter of 2011. We left our comfort zone to follow our hearts and explore the world. (Praying that we receive the "working in Singapore" gift soon.)
4. Career Break. At the start of the year it seemed impossible, even after reading this article from Lonely Planet. But guess what?! We've been enjoying our longest vacation leave ever!  
5. Spending time with our family, even for just awhile. My parents and sister came home to Manila for a month. We got to be with them only for a week. But that one week was priceless. And for the very first time in my life I flew alone (alone!) from one country to another -- just to be with my loved ones. (Hubby took another flight because of a scheduled job interview.) 
6. Being able to hold my Mama's hand in the O.R., all throughout a medical procedure. The greater blessing: Doc declared her lump clear, on-the-spot! Fatty tissue lang! Yey! And the bonus: the procedure was free. We're blessed with kind-hearted, generous, loving doctors and nurses in the family. 
7. Being able to tell my Papa, "Now that I'm a Pinoy abroad like you, lalo akong bilib sa iyo. For so long, you faced the challenges of being an OFW on your own. Idol talaga kita!"
8. Learning every day about WHAT TRULY MATTERS IN LIFE. We're grateful that we have enough. Sometimes nga, more than enough pa. Even on career breaks. We're overwhelmed by the blessings. 
9. Our SG Adventure has been one hell of a roller coaster ride. And it has shaped Hubby and Me into stronger individuals and more loving partners. If a couple can laugh together through rejection, discrimination, and a stretch of "no paydays muna," then they must really be meant to happily journey through life together. *wink*

2011: Another year filled with
life, laughter and lots of love!

THANK YOU, GOD, for loving me, loving us the way you do. We're forever humbled by Your grace, love, mercy and faithfulness. May you continue to bless us all in 2012 and the coming years. We know Your Plans are always greater than our dreams. 

AS RUDOLPH & MRS. CLAUS

It's our first Holiday Season in SG. Yes, totoo ang chismis, the celebration is more "relaxed" here versus Pinas. Proof: Our building was so quiet on Christmas Eve. Parang unit lang namin ang gising until the wee hours of the morning, hehe. 

After church, Hubby and I bonded with our housemates over crispy pata, kare-kare, roast chicken, biko, leche flan and lots of picture-taking. Fun!

As Rudolph & Mrs. Claus
with our SG housemates

Highlights (nope, not our head gears, haha):

1. Video chatting with my family! Thank God for Skype and Facebook.
2. Of course, J, our housemate's 5-yr old daughter had the most gifts. Among all her new toys, guess which one she picked to play with first? Our Hello Kitty Cafe gift! Proud to say consistent ako dyan -- kids choose to play with our gift first, pati sa Pinas. Maybe because I'm a kid-at-heart? I know what they'll enjoy. (And no, the toy need not be expensive.) 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS everyone!

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

One of our favorite quotes / moments from the film: 

Ernest Hemingway to Gil (Owen Wilson): All men fear death.  It's a natural fear that consumes us all. We fear death because we feel that we haven't loved well enough or loved at all, which ultimately are one and the same. However, when you make love to a truly great woman, one that deserves the utmost respect in this world, and one that makes you feel truly powerful, the fear of death completely disappears. Because when you are sharing your body and heart with a great woman, the world fades away. You are the only ones in the entire universe. You conquer what lesser men have never conquered before, you have conquered a great woman's heart, the most vulnerable thing she can offer to another. Death no longer lingers in the mind. Fear no longer clouds your heart. Only passion for living, and for loving, become your sole reality. This is no easy task for it takes insurmountable courage. But remember this, for that moment that you are making love with a woman of true greatness you will feel immortal. 

Hubby and I looked at each other and I asked, "Kaya fearless ka?" 

He smiled. And then we kissed. 

A lovely midnight movie date in Singapore, thanks to Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris."