Baby Bump Pic

My first ever "presentable" Baby Bump Pic at 19 weeks.... I have been taking pictures of my tummy several times but of course, it feels awkward to post them anywhere in public. And I also have been looking groggy until recently -- when I got better from colds & sinusitis.

I posted this last week in my Facebook account, and I was surprised at the positive responses I got... I didn't really expect my friends to comment, but they did, and every little comment made me smile... Thank you guys!!! I guess that for some of my oldest friends, it is surreal seeing their "one-of-the-boys" classmate being pregnant and ladylike (waaat) this time... Hehehe!

I'm currently on my 20th week, which means I'm halfway there -- full term should be 40 weeks. I'm going to ask my OB/sonologist later if it is possible to determine the gender of my baby already. Jon & I can't wait to know the gender so we can start preparing.

I'm also finding it quite hard to move around now, partly because of the weight (my back kinda hurts more often) and because I feel like my tummy is stretched already and the baby is kinda "ipit".

Oh, and now I'm starting to waddle like a duck when I'm walking. I dunno why, but it just happend coz it seemed to be the most comfy way of walking. LOL. I tried walking the way I usually do, but I kinda feel uncomfy with it. *shrug*

Lots of changes, physically, emotionally, financially (sigh). But looking forward to everything, and trying to prepare as much as we can!

Til next :D

Thoughts of a First-Time Mom-to-be

Before I got pregnant, I was involved with my sister-in-law’s pregnancy. We were always with them every other week. She went on with her usual activities, still driving to and fro her office, even until her 9^th month. She ate a lot and gained weight even during her first trimester. So I thought,” I hope I won’t have a hard time with my future pregnancy, just like her”.

But I had a hard time. A really hard time. I had a threatened abortion and had to take medicines that made me acidic. I had to rest, but couldn’t lie down for a long time due to acid reflux (acidity going up my throat when I lie down). I was throwing up so regularly I was developing a personal relationship with our master toilet. I couldn’t eat a lot, because I would get bloated and acidic and throw it all up anyway. I’m supposed to relax and not get stressed, but how could I, when I even have to get up in the middle of the night to rendezvous with the toilet. And the biggest thing of all – I had to take a 1 month leave without pay, just when I need the budget for my medicines and checkups. The ironies of my condition were endless.

So in all honesty, I couldn’t feel “happy” during those times. I feel guilty when I realize that all that was in my mind were my discomforts. Of course, at the back of my head I knew a miracle was happening, a gift was given to us, but I couldn’t feel totally joyous about it – not with my mind trying to control my nausea for the most part of the day. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t sulking and questioning God why I had to get pregnant, because I did pray and wish for it. I wanted to get pregnant, I just didn’t really “feel” pregnant – I felt like someone who had acute gastroenteritis. Especially since my abdomen wasn’t showing yet.

Then I woke up one morning sometime towards my 3^rd month. I realized my tummy wasn’t aching with acidity that much. I started to feel hope that this was it, I was starting to get over the drama. But after a few days, I found myself making friends with our office toilet – so I start wondering, what the heck is going on? I thought I was over this already?

So I started to get into a funk again, about why I was still feeling all these, when I realized that, hey, didn’t I manage to sleep a bit better last night? Hey, didn’t the frequency of my nausea go down? Hey, didn’t my acidity somehow lessen? Hey, wasn’t I generally feeling better than before? I started becoming positive, seeing my improvements and thanking Papa Jesus that this was better than before. It was at this point that things started to look up.

Now in my 17^th week, though I am still not allowed to travel as I used to, and I still throw up once in a while, and I still get bloated and acidic and have recently developed an annoying after taste. But I feel happier, I have more appetite, and my tummy is showing – making me realize that a little one is really growing inside me. My officemates have been very supportive, always watching out for me and reprimanding me, understanding my absences.

But the greatest feeling of all is seeing the baby, MY baby, inside my womb, squirming and jerking and changing positions. Although the ultrasound still wasn’t able to determine the gender of our baby, the more important aspect was the fetal biometry – in layman’s terms, the baby’s vital statistics. Thank God, that despite my sensitive pregnancy, my baby’s growth is on time, right on schedule. The size of the head, the abdomen and the length are all normal for his/her age. I still haven’t felt a kick or a punch yet, it may take more weeks for that, but seeing that everything is normal gave me relief beyond measure. We really thank God for that.

I realized that seeing my baby healthy even just through ultrasound suddenly made everything I went through worthwhile… how much more when I get to meet him/her in person next year? Our worlds will probably turn upside down, the unica hija now with the unica niña who has been loved from the moment the second pink line appeared… :D

And they really HAD to make it to NY Times....but what about the others?

http://www.starmometer.com/2009/10/01/cristine-reyes-and-richard-gutierrez-make-it-to-the-new-york-times/

I'm sorry guys, I just have to react on this. I know it's hardly the time to have negative feelings about other people, but I also believe in giving credit where credit is due.

So lemme make this short.

I agree that stars saving other stars is worth media coverage -- especially since it makes everyone realize that in calamities like these, there are no rich, poor, popular celebrities nor D-list wannabes. Everyone is equal in times of danger and crisis.

However, I also firmly believe that stars saving ordinary people are all the more newsworthy. Popular actors almost unrecognizable with the waters reaching up their mouths, hollering to their neighbors to check if they are ok, braving flood waters without motored transport, saving people and animals alike, tying ropes as make shift anchors lest they be carried away by the current... I think they all the more deserve appreciation.

So, ok, the more popular make it to New York Times... How I wish they included the more heroic too...


God bless us all, and may we continue the spirit of compassion and sharing amongst us...

Infanticipating

July 14: Wondering, "Where'd my period go? I already had spotting, didn't I? Where is it now?"

July 17: Staring intently at the home pregnancy test, "Do I see a second line? Is that a second line? I think it is a second line! OMIGOD OMIGOD OMIGOD!"

July 22: First TransV Ultrasound. Sonologist: "You're around 5 wks pregnant, but see this spot here? That's not supposed to be there. That's blood inside your uterus. There's minimal subchorionic hemorrhage -- this is a sign of miscarriage. I suggest you go back to your OB immediately, she might recommend you to rest."

And the next 4 weeks were therefore spent at home -- coupled with increased hyperacidity, flatulence, nausea and actual throwing up.

Morning sickness proved to be an All Day sickness, necessitating frequent bouts with the Master Toilet. Never in my life have I had a closer relationship with a ceramic bowl until this. All medications stopped, hoping to tame the nausea and hyperacidity. TUMS and Kremil only serving to neutralize the top layer of acidity.

But the one silver lining amidst this ordeal is hearing my baby's heartbeat through the doppler -- a confirmation that yes, a little one is growing in my tummy!

Krispy Kreme Drive Thru!

Yesss. Krispy Kreme drive thru. Jemmi's idea. Didn't believe it until I saw it. It was my first time to drive thru a doughnut shop!

Here's the entrance that says Drive Thru :D


And here's the drink selection, and the doughnuts by the dozens

And here's the doughnut selection. My personal favorite is Hershey's special dark chocolate. I bought New York Cheesecake for my hubby :)


Cool huh!

The only un-cool thing was the car before us changed their orders several times -- to the point that they actually gave back 2 of the 3 boxes they already had... jeez... in fact, one passenger actually got out of the car and transacted in the window, making it look like a sari-sari store. Excuse me, drive thru nga eh! :D Ocge na nga, at least I got my dark chocolate doughnut, and Jemmi had her chocolate covered chocolate cake or something like that (that I finished for her... yummy!!!)

Save or Splurge? Cosmetics 101 (Part III of III)

Foundation = Splurge! The best beauty brands are the ones that offer foundation in a variety of non-irritating shades that suit every woman's natural skintone.

Concealer = Splurge! Unfortunately, those cheap concealers don't cover your flaws as naturally as the expensive ones.

Powder = Save and splurge! For daily wear, you'll do fine with cheap grocery face powders, but for special events, you need to use long lasting powders offered by more pricey brands.

Source: Belle de Jour Power Planer 2009

Save or Splurge? Cosmetics 101 (Part II of III)

(Part 2 of a 3-part series)


Blush = Save! There are so many choices out there, so it actually boils down to proper application and blending.

Lipstick = Save or splurge! As long as the formula is non-drying and non-irritating, then the choice of shade and brand is up to you.

Lip Gloss = Save! Most of them contain the same ingredients, anyway.

Source: Belle de Jour Power Planer 2009

Save or Splurge? Cosmetics 101 (Part I of III)

For lack of proper knowledge in cosmetics, these simple tips from my trusty Belle de Jour Power Planner prove to be practical and useful ones. Read on.

Save or Splurge?

Eyeshadow = Save! If you don't have enough money to buy designer brands, then go for the cheaper alternatives. Just make sure the eyeshadow formula is not chalky. That's what testers are for. Apply it on your hand or arm. If it feels rough and uncomfortable, then try another brand.

Mascara = Save and Splurge! If all you need is daily mascara that you can easily remove, then opt for cheap ones that come with a small brush size. For parties and nights out, spend on waterproof volumizing mascara.

Eyeliner = Splurge! While there are a lot of cheap brands that are good enough for daily wear, you need to invest in branded eyeliners that are gentle on your eye area and don't smudge easily.

Source: Belle de Jour Power Planer 2009

(hmmm... So that's why I keep getting eyeliner smudges... Ok will be looking for branded ones na... sigh...)

Till next :D

Ciao!

Wedding Aftermath: Reality sets in - updating records, accounts etc.

Below is an excerpt from my post in my yahoogroup Weddings@Work. It basically summarizes what we women must deal with after the wedding. I wished there was some kind of primer on this, to guide us... coz admittedly, after Christmas, my December wedding, the family reunions and the New Year honeymoon, it was pretty hard to descend from Cloud 9 and get back to work -- let alone think and organize all the paperwork and updating I had to do.

So here's a summary of what happend in the aftermath of my wedding. May this serve as somewhat of a primer for other soon-to-be-married brides, and may you succeed in carrying this out in a more organized manner than I did. Teehee. Read along. :D

"FIRST: practice na ur married signatures. Kc in the weeks following ur wedding, you'd be updating your records and you will be giving new specimen signatures. So dapat tlga comfortable na kyo sa new sig nyo kc ung specimen signatures nyo ung basis ng mga bank transactions dba? kya dpat maganda na ung sig natin dun. narealize ko to wen I was signing 3 sets of sig cards sa bank. medyo alangan pa ko sa signature ko, and there was even a time na nagsign ako nung old sig ko, kya I asked for another sig card. Practice na tayo mga sis.

SECOND: pra sa mga nag-aask ng monetary gifts, uso na ngayon ang nagbibigay ng cheque. Problem dito is kng nakapangalan ba sa maiden or married names nyo (buti ung iba nakapangalan kay hubby, so ok lng). Ung iba, like samin, Jon and Eva Capistrano nakalagay, so napilitan kmi mag-open ng AND acct pra lng maipasok namin un -- mgr's check kc un. Wat I did for the cheques in my maiden name was I deposited them agad. Then we had to wait for the marriage contract so I can update my bank records before I can deposit those in my married name or ung mga may AND/OR na nkalagay.

THIRD: LTO License/valid Gov't ID with MARRIED NAME. for those who drive, better update your LTO agad, pra magkaron agad kayo ng VALID GOVERNMENT ISSUED ID. Eto ang pinakamadali kunin coz all you need is your marriage contract and your BIR 1904 ata un. The other banks kc want a valid ID na married name na, not just your marriage contract. Malaking ginhawa sakin to nung na-update ko license ko.

FOURTH: credit cards, bank accounts etc. We really have to take time for this. kya ako mtagal bago ko nakumpleto kc hindi ako maka leave ng sunod-sunod after the honeymoon. Best to update bank accounts after you got a valid government issued ID with your married name.

FIFTH: SSS, PHILHEALTH, BIR etc... wala tlga akong kaalam-alam dito sa docs na to, kya super nangapa ako dito. Better talk with your HR/ACCTNG sa ofc pra matulungan kyo with the requirements. side note, wala pa rin akong SSS ID na married, kc sira lahat ng capturing branches nila. GRRRR!

SIXTH: Passport. To-do ko pa rin to, 5 months nako married pro hindi ko pa to naasikaso. Altho ok lng nmn sana hintayin ung renewal, pro kc kelangan sa application ni hubby for immigrant ung married passport ko. haaays.

So eto, summarized na. Just to give you an idea. kc sabog tlga ako nung ginagawa ko ito, wala nmn kc nakapg advise saken ng mga ito, bgla nlng ako tatanungin ng tga acctg namin, "oh, asan na ung sa BIR mo? ok na ba ung Philhealth mo? dpt kc ikaw magpareciv nun eh..." ako prang... "whaa--?!" hahaha!!

hope this helps! lamko usually preps tlga ung focus dito, kya sometimes nattake for granted ung aftermath, kya nga sabog ung pag-asikaso ko dito kc galing christmas, tpos wedding, tpos honeymoon, tpos... waaa! wala nmn ngsbi sakin na ganito pla un hehehe! Icp ko sana pla may Primer din abt this! kya eto nlng contribution ko :D"

Ciao!

Bossing around, are we?

A fine line exists between bossing around and delegating.

Delegating is when you make the other person feel that he is integral to the group. Bossing around is when you make the other person feel as if a) you’re just passing on a task that is supposed to be yours; b) you feel very superior that he should just do whatever you say without question, because he is a subordinate; c) all of the above.

Whenever the manner of delegating tasks is totally devoid of “Please” or any other word synonymous to it, it is borderline bossing around. The clincher now lies on how you make the other person feel. Do you make him feel inferior, or do you make him feel like a part of a team?

And how about you, what do you feel? Do you feel superior over your subordinates? Do you think you could do better, and therefore do not need to give importance to them and their feelings?

The funny thing is, one doesn’t even have to be a leader or boss to be able to boss others around. Insecure people do this as a defense mechanism. Also, brattinellas do this simply because they have the notion of being the center of the universe – or whichever entity they're currently in (office, family etc). Maangas guys also do this just to prove their machismo, because they have nothing else.

Of course we all have our own reasons. But the general rule is to be humble. The rest will follow.

Ciao!

p.s. I'm not talking about my immediate superior (jemmi) because she is my soul-sister. She knows when to give out a firm order and when not to. And I know her well enough not to misconstrue her actions. (ok na, jemmi? hehehe!)

Bulilit Fever

By now, most of us must have (at least) heard of Camella Homes' Bulilit TV Commercial, featuring a very cute little girl. If by chance you haven't watched the commercial just yet, here's the link, and see for yourself:

Bulilit TV Commercial on Youtube

This commercial never fails to put a smile in my face... and that of my mom's & dad's faces too. I'm not really obsessed with it, but it's so cute I always want to be reminded of it.

Top things you have done to know if you've got the Bulilit Fever:

1. No matter what you are doing, you rush in front of the TV when the commercial starts
2. You constantly resist the urge to tickle and kiss your TV set when the little girl does the "wide-eyed-innocence" look while eating her meal
3. You downloaded the clip to watch in your laptop/pc
4. You converted the downloaded clip and loaded it in your Ipod
5. Furthermore, you extracted the clips audio and converted it into MP3 to be used as a ringtone
6. You have screen-captured the picture of the bulilit kid.
7. You have made the screen-captured picture the wallpaper of your laptop/pc
8. You have made the screen-captured picture the wallpaper of your mobile phone
9. You have influenced other officemates to like the commercial too
10. You have spent ample time searching Youtube for videos of the cute kid's TV guestings.

Hmmm...not too much, eh?

Yeah yeah. I guess if you put me through a scanner I'd be diagnosed positive of the Bulilit Fever. Hey, but at least, this is one fever I won't mind having.

Bulilit... bulilit... sanay sa masikip.. kung kumilos kumilos... ang liit liit... bulilit...

Ciao!

The Girl in the Purple Scarf

Yeah, I just watched Confessions of a Shopaholic yesterday.... uh-huh... I know, I'm such a loser, bigtime... But hey, I watched Star Trek in IMAX so I hope some of my loser status could still be redeemed :D

I wonder if I should start writing as The Girl in the Purple Scarf?


Ciao!

Not So Ordinary Billiards Night

It was payday Friday, and with that usually comes a slew of spontaneous invitations from officemates/friends for a gimmick. Frankly, I try to steer clear of gimmick places and popular restaurants on Payday Fridays because of the crowd -- either you wait to be seated, or you are seated but you're waiting for your food, or you've got your food but you're waiting for extra rice that takes years to serve....

So.. when my officemates suggested billiards at Paeng's, my hubby & I decided to tag along, thinking that since it was still quite early, maybe we could still get tables, and at least it's not some crowded restaurant. We thought we got all things considered -- until I remembered that we were supposed to meet our parents because we were eating out with them. So what to do? what to do? We don't want to keep our parents waiting for an hour while we play billiards... so the next best thing is to...

...bring them along!

Yup. We did. They went.

Initially, our parents were only supposed to look at the bowling rates of Paeng's (we plan to make a career out of bowling haha), but then my hubby asked dad if he wanted to get a separate billiard table. Dad said, sure, it's been a while since he played and so the game commenced...

Mom trying to wing it :D

Dad trying to work around those goddarm balls :D

How often does one get to play billiards with their mom & dad? Dads do, but mothers usually don't. Hehe. So it wasn't an ordinary billiards on payday friday night after all.

Ciao!

Oh yeah, got a new sig :D

Oh yeah, I just recently learned how to put my signature here. teehee. I've had this signature for quite some time but didn't have the time to learn how to put it here --- until yesterday :D so there.

For those who may be wondering, I have been cross-posting from multiply since last year (meaning I post in multiply and I simply check the box that says "cross-post to blogger" and viola! my post is reposted here!) but for some reason, when I changed my template, the cross-posting doesn't work anymore. Therefore, I was coerced to learn and be familiar with posting here manually. And with that, I found out I could get a signature and whatnot, like I do in my emails. So maybe I'd start pimping my blog now.... We'll see. :D

will be signing my posts with something like this for now (see below) ... until I get bored and change it to another one. LOL.

Ciao!

Don't be a Blinker! *blink*blink*

Who thought something as mundane and as trivial as this could have a definite impact on something important?

TIP for those to be wed or to have their pre-nuptial shoot: Don't blink right after the first flash -- wait for a few seconds more because the photographers are taking follow-up shots...


(I just shared this with my co-w@wies) Ok, here's the thing. Having seen the raw pictures from my wedding, I noticed that the photogs take around 2-4 bursts of shots for a single pose, usually for the important couple shots (like the ones in Church after the ceremony etc..). I noticed that altho most of the 1st shots were good enough, there are times when the smiles are still not that warm and the poses still a bit awkward so I tend to choose the 2nd or 3rd shot of the same pose. However, more often than not, I realized that my hubby had already blinked by then, so his eyes are closed/partially closed in the succeeding shots -- just when the rest of us in the picture were all warmed up and ready. Ergo, I end up settling for whichever shot has all our eyes open, knowing it could have been better if only my hubby (or I) did not blink immediately.

I asked my hubby why his eyes were always closed in the latter shots, and he says after the flash he blinks already because of the glare, not really aware that there were follow up shots.

So especially for the couple, do try to keep from blinking immediately after the flash goes off. Remember that this event won't happen again, and it would really have an impact later when you start to pick through the hundreds of pictures to put in your final album.


ciao!

Got bored, chopped my hair and (gasp!) almost Kissed A Girl?

I got bored with my hairdo.... so I stomped over at David's and had them chop my hair off, complete with sided "bengs" as my stylist said. Lol. I also got myself a new pair of specs (eyeglasses), since I realized that my last eye check-up was dated 2004 (eek!). I guess that explains my headaches and nausea.

• Haircut by David's
• Eyeglasses by Charles + jacob eyestudio (eo-executive optical)
• Background by yours truly (yeah, literally, since those binders you see are my project documents etc...)

Oh and I said I "almost" Kissed A Girl coz I almost looked like the song's singer, Katy Perry. Long face, short bob with bangs. LOL. Gotcha.

(did u honestly think I literally kissed a girl? ..... yeah ok, i did, but not now! i'm married! teehee.)

Free Doughnut & Coffee!!

I got free doughnuts & coffee from Krispy Kreme, thanks to Dina from ePLDT who gave me a coupon for free Chocolate Glazed Doughnut and Coffee. Thanks Dins!!!

Oooops... I Thot this was a barkada pic! (teehee)

I was finalizing my wedding pictures for the final album when I came across this picture:

OKAAAAY. So I admit that for a moment I kinda forgot about being a bride.... Or maybe I thought it was normal for brides to do that with their coin-bearer /inaanak... Or maybe it was an instinctive reaction to my inaanak doing the "Korean peace" thing... Or maybe... maybe I just had to let my hair down and not care if this was normal or not -- I just really felt like goofing around with my inaanak. Hehehe.

Whichever way, this is absolutely one of my favorite shots during my wedding.

Kudos to my photographer's team for capturing this moment. (I guess no matter how hard I try to hide it, i still tend to lose some poise in front of the cam.)

Strolling along the....huh? Is this the airport?

Take a look at this picture.


This actually reminds me of HK's airport (where my friends and I spend a lot of time waiting)... or Naia Terminal 3 (where my hubby and I spent a lot of time waiting too).

Having in mind that I seem to have a history of waiting (and therefore strolling) through airports, this picture could very well be just one of them. Right?

Wrong. This ain't no airport. This is the newly opened SM Marikina (opened September 2008, they said.)

Yep, see the bottom part of the "airport" facade is a Wall climbing activity by a sports shop, sponsored by Tribu. The partially obscured back of the guy in blue by the pillar is actually my husband, wishing to heck he's one of those climbing those walls.


It even had a Philippine flag, and an SM flag, if you look closely at the first picture. LOL!

I love the high ceiling effect. But the stores aren't that many. It's not that big, actually, and it lacks one important store: DAIRY QUEEN. hmp. Plus, the foodcourt is small! Even less than half the foodcourt in SM Southmall. Of course, the ambiance is nowhere near that of Southmall. Wish they would revamp SM Southmall too. :D

Wanna Try?

I heart Krispy Kreme! Unfortunately, I have yet to buy the tin can thingie... maybe this coming payday tho...

I especially luuurve their Hersheys Special Dark Chocolate doughnut...

ok that's it, where's the nearest Krispy Kreme outlet here in Las Piñas?!?!??

MV Doulos -- Floating Bookstore, Floating Inspiration

" BRINGING KNOWLEDGE, HELP AND HOPE
TO THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD."

"Doulos visits port cities throughout the world, supplying vital literature resources, encouraging inter-cultural understanding, training young people for more effective life and service, promoting greater global awareness, providing practical aid and sharing a message of hope in God wherever there is opportunity."

I was very lucky to have visited MV Doulos last Saturday, 14 March. My brother-in-law just heard about the floating bookstore and suggested we go there the next time we get together (yeah he knew I loved books -- ok, ok, that I am addicted to books). I had no idea how lucky we were at that time, since there were no lines in the entrance. I actually doubted if a lot of people knew about them -- but I was wrong :D

Err... ok.. that doesn't seem like a LOT of people, but that's because I was too excited to browse the books to actually take a good picture. haha! Trust me, the deeper into the deck you go, the more suffocating it becomes... not to the point of fainting of course, but enough to make you sticky and sweaty with all the people pushing everywhere and browsing titles. BUT if you have an insatiable hunger for books (who, me?), you'd hardly notice anything else since your eyes would be rolling from one shelf to the other, looking for familiar titles and prospective reads.

Ok, they were primarily inspirational/spiritual books, a LOT of children's books, and health/diet recipe books. There were also trivia books, Do-It-Yourself books and souvenirs. Plus I found a shelf full of hardbound Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mystery novels, which I am currently seriously regretting not buying. They were just P250/pc! Imagine, a hardbound novel? You could hardly find Nancy Drew in bookstores now, right? Plus, I saw a John Grisham (i think, not really a fan though) hardbound novel for just P500. AAAAAAARGH. stupid stupid me for not bringing more money. Believe it or not, the first book I ever picked up to buy was an inspirational book for my mom & dad. It was in abundance. I would also have loaded myself with disney activity books for P100-P300 bucks -- if only I had kids. It was such a shame I couldn't buy more!!

But I did manage to buy a couple (okay, 3 of them) of mystery novels -- they were classified as juvenile fiction (read: for teenagers) but the stories were good for me too (yep, I already finished 2 of them yesterday). Plus I got a free MV Doulos eco-friendly bag! a very nice souvenir. For a more personalized souvenir shot, here I am...

...beside one of the lifeboats hahaha! I made sure I knew where they were, and how to use them:

Better be safe than sorry! hahaha, kidding! Oh yeah, pardon the pictures -- I was merely using my phone's camera.

Here's picture of the boat from below:

and here's the view of the... uhrm... chimney-like thingie up there:

Yep, it says there "GBA", which, from their website, used to stand for "Good Books for All". This private, non-profit organization was registered in Germany -- with the intention of spreading the love -- through this boat.

Unfortunately, my officemate recently stumbled upon an article which said that the boat would be retiring in 2010 -- so this may be its last voyage to the Philippines.....

To the MV Doulos crew, kudos to you for spreading hope and love to the world.

May there be a Doulos II in the future.

For those who are interested, MV Doulos is at Pier 13 until the end of this month. They are near Eva Macapagal Super Terminal. Just ask any of the guards at the Pier, they know.

Capistrano - Dueñas Supplier Ratings: Illustrated version!

Dahil Computer Science kmi pareho ni Jon, is will :

* Quad-Core Processor: Excellente! Exceeds , sulit ang binayad kasi ibang level ang powers!

* Core 2 Duo Processor: Very Good! Meets expectations and sulit sa bayad. Performed well, with possible minor glitches.
* Dual Core Processor: Good. Performed as expected with moderate hassles.
* Pentium 4 Processor: Slow, causes delay. Did not perform as expected.
* Pentium 1 Processor: Worthy of the junkyard.

Suppliers

Church: Mt. Carmel Shrine
Officiating Priest: Rev. Fr. Arnie Boehme, OCD
Pocket Damage: P10k as of July 2007
Remarks:

The Church was magnificent, as usual. Maaliwalas tlga, with a very very long aisle. The altar is also beautiful. Plus points for the long aisle, and plus points to the non-suffocating surroundings. Plus points for the triquetra symbol (the one used in Charmed TV series) carved on the arc by the altar. Minus points to the echoing sound system that makes the voices sound garbled.

Final Verdict: Core 2 Duo!

***
Reception: Fr. Mark Horan Hall
Contact Person: Ms. Lisa
Pocket Damage: P15k + additional charges
Remarks:

Nagulat lng ako sa additional P2,500 charge samin on the day. Bakit kya kami pinagbayad ng P1,000 for the “excess use of the hall”? Although ung P1,500 for the use of electricity for lights and sounds, nasabihan na kami before, hindi lng nasingil samin nung nag final payment kami. Pero sa excess use of the hall, I’m not sure what that was for… maybe that’s because mga 3:30 pm na kami natapos?. *Shrug* Anyway ok lng kasi basically mura pa din ung rental sa hall.

Final Verdict: Core 2 Duo!

***
Caterer: Eloquente Catering Services
Contact Person: Grace Contante
Pocket Damage: approx P150k for 260pax, Carnation Package
Remarks:

Eloquente delivered more than I expected. The flowers were nice, the entire hall was nice, the amenities were complete, I love the cake, the couple’s table and the backdrop were really prettier than I expected, the VIP tables were gorgeous (parang gusto ko nga lumipat dun eh hahaha). And most importantly, THE FOOD WAS GREAT! Unfortunately, hindi ako mashadong naka-kain, pero I was pleasantly surprised sa feedback of most if not all of the guests I’ve spoken to. Masarap daw tlga ang food, and nabusog daw tlga sila. Waaa buti pa sila! Hehe! So far, all that we talked about with Grace was carried out, medyo nagkulang lng ata ng konti sa styro packaging kya hindi na-pack ng mabuti ung wedding cake. Pero sulit tlga everything sa Eloquente. Ang pinakamaganda nyan, hindi sila mahal, compared to the other accredited caterers ng Hall – or to other caterers in general.

Final Verdict: Quad-Core!! Recommended tlga!

***
Photographer: Jomel Gregorio Photography
Contact Person: Jomel Gregorio
Pocket Damage: approx P60k
Remarks:

Jomel is an artist. He’s young, he has talent, he has the eye, he’s got the potential. True enough, lumabas ang artistry nya when we had our Military-themed prenup pictorial. He also has another talent – Tintography. He prints out a picture in black and white, and then using a special mixture of materials, he paints the picture by hand. This is included in our package, and I’m very excited about it. As of now, I haven’t seen the proofs of the wedding pix, pero I’ve seen previews from his camera after the wedding, and I was amazed with what I saw. Grabe ung shots nya, our posing was so simple yet he was able to do something about it. Ewan ko ba how they do it! Of course wait and see pa ako sa final album, which will be months from now, pero so far, I can give a preliminary verdict…

Update: I have seen (and posted here) the official pix from my wedding, and i luuuuurve them! especially the contemporary photography and the candid moments!

Final Verdict: Quad-Core!!

***
Videographer: Reality Wedding Videos
Contact Person: Buddy Gancenia
Pocket Damage: approx P40k, with Onsite video + free projector
Remarks:

To say that Buddy has talent is a definite understatement. Grabe and powers nito, ibang level. This past couple of hours, Jon & I have been watching our Onsite video for several times and we never get tired of it – and Buddy never fails to amaze us talaga. I have no idea where he got those shots, or how I managed to look good in those shots (of course my make-up artist was very good too. Kya lng minsan hindi ako camera-genic eh). How he weaved the videos into a story is a product of vast experience with the 2 largest networks in the Philippines, plus training in editing reality TV with Endemol, the company that brought Big Brother to ABS-CBN. Buddy is definitely recommended!!

Final Verdict: Quad-Core!!
***
OTD Coordinator: Luciole Events Coordination
Contact Person: Sol Ogatis
Pocket Damage: P10k
Remarks:
I love Luciole!!! They really took care of me. I love sol and I owe their team a lot din when it came to the success of the wedding. There were minor glitches, na they were sorry for and they explained to me, pero it was actually not a big deal for me, kasi I didn’t have to worry about the small details sa wedding, they took care of it. Other people may say other things, like hindi daw sila nabigyan ng souvenirs etc, pero I know they’re just a small percentage of the guests. I understand all the things that the coordinators had to do, so things like that, I don’t mind. As long as na-turn over sakin lahat afterwards. Nakakahiya pa nga kasi nag-abono si Luciole ng more than P4k kasi hindi ko naibilin ung balance ko dun sa brownie supplier. So sila muna nagbayad. Buti nlng may cash sila!

Final Verdict: Quad-Core!! Great find to!

***
Florist: Angel of Hearts
Contact Person: Lawrence dela Rosa
Pocket Damage: P11k for bridal bouquet, 4 BM, 3 SS, 6 PS, 4 FG flower baskets with bears & headdress (teddy bears provided)
Remarks:

I’m not a flower person. So I wasn’t particular with what kind of flowers to be used for my bouquet, although Lawrence & I agreed on imported calla lilies. My only specification was the bouquets of my entourage be purple, fuschia pink and orange. The night before the wedding, Lawrence called me up, telling me may kasalanan daw cya, kasi out-of-season na ang calla lilies. Talagang nag super sorry cya sakin, ako nmn, no problem bsta may maipalit cya. Sabi ko, ok lng bsta red/magenta lng ung color. Sabi ko sa knya, “Surprise me nlng Lawrence.” Sabi nya, “Yes ma’am, promise, gagandahan ko tlga bouquet nyo.” So I trusted him and didn’t worry about it na. The next day, when the flowers came, ayun ang bouquet ko… bonggang bonggang Equadorian Roses chorvalu, na may inserts na purple. Wow, ang ganda, sabi ko. Ung red nya prang may lining na whitish. Bsta, maganda talaga! At ung sa entourage ko, as discussed nung nag-mock up. And if I’m not
mistaken, prang may sobrang bridal car bouquet pa nga eh, although provided na un ni Eloquente. Naka-free offertory flowers pa ako, nilagay pa nila sa basket. O ha? Ok tlga kausap itong c Lawrence!

Final Verdict: Quad-Core!!

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Wedding Ring Supplier: Suarez Wedding Rings
Branch: SM Mall of Asia branch
Pocket Damage: a little less than P20k, with 5 stones for me & 3 bigger stones for Jon
Remarks:

Madali kausap, lalo na mga Cebuana hehehe. Lifetime warranty, customizable everything etc etc. I decided to go with them kasi may branch sila sa MOA hehehe. And dati ko pa din gusto kumuha sa kanila. Mas accessible kasi sa MOA. I didn’t know where the other wedding ring suppliers were based. I also like their lifetime warranty eh, although others may also have that. May lay-away / installment plan din sila, so easy on the pocket. They also delivered earlier than the expected date. No hassle tlga kami sa knila.

Final Verdict: Core 2 Duo!
***
Lights & Sounds Supplier: RejectKrew
Contact Person: Elmer Bautista
Pocket Damage: P6k
Remarks:

Sobrang dali kausap at sobrang galang ni Elmer. We never had a problem with him. We just called him up a couple of days before the wedding pra “kunchabahin” sa surprise dance number namin. During the event, he did a good job looking “innocent” about the unexpected change of music, that even Luciole panicked hehehe!!! His music were on-cue, his lights were great and added to the “hotel-like” ambiance of the Hall. Sila din ung naglagay ng moodlights sa backdrop ng couple's table, kaya ang ganda ng effect! Magaling tlga itong si Elmer & his team!!

Final Verdict: Core 2 Duo! Recommended!!
***
Church Choir: Our Lady of Lourdes Choir
Contact Person: Cheene Geraban
Pocket Damage: P5k
Remarks:

They’re the classmates of Jon’s cousin in Nursing school. Medyo napaisip lng ako kasi hindi pa kami nagkakausap nung group a couple of weeks before kasi may prelims sila. Nagkausap lng kami a little before Christmas. Ok nmn sila kausap, natuwa ako sa acoustic version nila ng “Your Love” by Alamid, which is the favorite song of Jon. Pinakanta nmin during the processional. And my Bridal March was also sung beautifully. Ok nmn sila.

Final Verdict: Core 2 Duo! Talented kids!

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Hair & Makeup Artist: Pam & Allan (Franck Provost)
Contact Person: Pam Pangan
Pocket Damage: P10k, bride + 2 heads
Remarks:

Pam was my classmate back in highschool, which is why I’m very very proud of her talent. From the trial makeup for Meenah’s wedding to my actual makeup during the wedding day, tlgang approved na approved ng relatives ko. My mom was very happy with her makeup din, hindi nag-iba ang fez nya. Recently kasi nagpa-makeup cya sa parlor, nag-iba ung fez nya eh. With Pam, hindi. She uses all MAC etc etc. Hindi nalulusaw ang makeup and kahit 6:30 a.m. nya ako minakeupan, maganda pa din makeup ko as of 10:30 pm. I love the falsies that she gave me, prang ayoko na nga tanggalin eh haha! I sooo luurve this girl! Allan, who does the hair, again worked magic on my hair. Ewan ko ba, ang bilis lng nya ginawa, pero complicado ang itsura ng buhok ko altho prang effortless lng sa knya. Medyo nahirapan lng ata cya sa bangs kong pasaway. Otherwise, my hair was gorgeous. Prang isang supot ng hairpin pla ang ginamit nya sakin kya pla kahit tumalon-talon ako hindi natanggal
buhok ko. Dynamic Duo ito!

Final Verdict: Quad-Core!!!
***
Invitation: Do-It-Yourself (Layout)
Contact Person: J-Fav Printing Haus c/o Jemmi Trinidad
Pocket Damage: Pro Bono! c/o Jemmi Trinidad
Remarks:

Jusko nmn ang dugo’t pawis ko sa pag layout ng invitation na ito. I really wanted a fun and colorful invitation, something unique and unlike the usual wedding invitations. Every element, every flower, border, background etc. found on the invitation was done by manual layout through Adobe Photoshop. I’ve been doing the invitations as early as September, and I finished around first week of December. My close friend Jemmi offered to print and produce the invitations as her wedding gift for us. So I just sent the JPG file of the pages of the invitation for the printing, cutting, folding and pasting done by Jemmi’s contact. Thank you Jemmi!!

Final Verdict: Core 2 Duo for the production of the invitations. (I refuse to rate my own design eh hehehe. See for yourself nlng :D )


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Couturier: Anthony of Divisoria
Contact Person: Anthony Agudo
Pocket Damage: approx. P25k for bridal gown, 1 MOH, 4 BM, 3 SS, 4 FG
Remarks:

Anthony’s reputation for being a good gown maker so far remains untarnished as of the moment. My gown was beautiful, the fitting was wonderful, the beadwork was better than I expected tlga. My ento gowns were really beautiful!!! Wala dapat beadwork un, but Anthony put beadwork on it and it was very very pretty! Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect from the ento gowns, since I just decided on the color on my own, without any basis nor picture. Other people criticized me for having Tangerine bolero paired with Fuschia belt. Eh maganda ang kinalabasan, and a lot of people liked the color and contrast of the gowns, so I feel so vindicated haha! Malaki din ang effect nung dinagdag ni Anthony na beadwork, which was just added without additional cost ha! Grabe. The measurements were tricky, though. Most of the measurements done by Anthonny were on the dot. But for the others with measurements done by other mananahi and just passed to Anthony, medyo may
problem ung iba. The usual hassle lng of having gowns made, especially those with measurements done by other modistas. But the over-all effect was fab! I really loved my ento gowns!

Final Verdict: Quad Core!!! Anthony will do everything to make your gown look nice tlga!

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Emcee: Ms. Cecille Lardizabal
Contact Person: Ms. Cecille Lardizabal of ABS-CBN News & Public Affairs
Pocket Damage: Pro Bono!!!
Remarks:

Ate Cecille was really nice!!! She was obviously experienced in hosting (haller, mas mahirap pa nga ung ginagawa nya everyday on tv) so we had no doubts that she could pull off the program. Napaisip lng kmi at first if she could take time out from her busy schedule to emcee on our wedding. When she gave us her confirmation, nakahinga na kami ng maluwang. And she did great! No below the belt side comments, pero may mga adlib cya kaya hindi boring :D

Final Verdict: Quad-Core!!!
***
Brownie Supplier: Golden Doors Enterprises
Contact Person: Iona Perez
Pocket Damage: approx P8k for 200 pcs. c/o Kuya Gerald
Remarks:

Masarap!!! At maganda packaging!!! In fairness, we found them sa Wedding Expo in PICC forum, and we were surprised na mura lng sila! Buti nlng and they delivered without hassle… and nabayaran sila ni Luciole kasi nakalimutan ko ibilin ung pambayad (oooopsie) hehe.

Final Verdict: Core 2 Duo!