more updates

just when i already gave up on the thought of ever getting an engagement ring from joseph, he pops up one for me just before the pamamanhikan. i wasn't expecting it really. i was so thrilled when he initially handed me a bouquet of roses which he hid in the car's trunk, then rummaged through the glove compartment to hand me this tiny silver box which contained my beautiful engagement ring. it is not much of the ring but the thought that he took time to buy me one. so this is how it feels to be truly engaged... overwhelming!!!

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joseph and his family came last 18 december 2004 for the pamamanhikan. it was nerve wracking alright! joseph brought along his parents, 2 brothers (Elmer and Eric), Elmer's wife (ate Nimfa) and their 2 kids (Jill and Ernest) and their Auntie Citas. there was some initial awkwardness but after my mom revealed that they were UP alumni, everything went well. joseph and i weren't really expecting for the meeting to turn out good. i think it's a good sign that the 2 families were able to relate well with one another.

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we still haven't decided on a venue, videographer and photographer. i'm starting to panic a little bit because december is almost ending and i would have wanted to book ASAP to get a cheaper deal on the suppliers.

more pictures to come! we had some trial prenup pictorials during the w@w christmas party. i've uploaded already shine's shots of us during that day. we'll be getting mimi's this afternoon. i'm excited! i'll keep you guys posted.

a little update

yesterday, we went around the alabang area to find a venue for our reception next year. we got to visit the alabang country club, the palms country club and vivere suites.

the ACC wasn't that impressive in terms of its architecture and layout. but what attracted us to it was that they do not have these packages for weddings that tie you to their exclusive supplier. it is good in a way because you can get the supplier you want without any conflicts with the venue. BUT it's a bit of a hassle since you have to contact them on your own and coordinate them all for the big day.

we couldn't say much about the PCC. we were speechless! the place was in itself very impressive since it sat on a hill which overlooked part of the alabang area. one hitch though was their package that required us to spend 200K minimum for an evening wedding reception at their place. that was a bit steep and way beyond our budget.

as for vivere suites, we found the place to be real cozy and intimate though their facade didn't say much, just like what every other hotel is. they also had these packages but they didn't require you to spend any minimum amount. we got the chance to peek into an already made up reception before the wedded couple got there and we found it good enough. the ballroom's size for us was okay since we arent expecting a huge crowd. since we want it to be an intimate gathering, it was just the size we needed.

i guess it's now between the PCC or vivere suites. i'm leaving that all up to joseph. i'm cool with either one of them so any one is real okay with me. it's finally taking shape! i'm really enjoying this. i can get used to this!

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tonight we'll be going to the w@w christmas party at gazebo royale in quezon city. i expect it'll be fun since there are so many things lined up for the event. to mention a few, they'll be hosting a free pre-nuptial pictorials for the couples and there'll be 10 photographers taking the pictures. we signed up for this. freebie eh! there's also going to be a rafle and an auction. dinner will be sponsored by auffrance and hizon's catering, if i'm not mistaken. pretty neat huh?

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after the party, we'll be meeting up with girlie (a real good friend) and eric (her fiance). this is nice because we finally get to meet as engaged couples. joseph has never met them before so he is also looking forward to this little get-together.

hectic schedule

i thought i'd squeeze in a little "blog time" into my schedule. lately, i haven't been able to post anything here since my busy schedule the past few days wouldn't permit me. plus i don't think i'll be able to post in the next couple of weeks as mostly i will be out of the house. so here i am typing in between bites before i head to the shower to prepare for another tiring day.

tomorrow, joseph's going to be home. finally! i never thought this day would come. it used to seem like that the days and hours would endlessly drag on. but now as i look back, i realize time did fly so fast. our second meeting will be totally different. this time as fiance/fiancee. we'll be really busy once he gets here since we'll be seeing some suppliers already. we hope to finally book a reception venue/caterer for the upcoming wedding. this'll be tough because there aren't many venues in the alabang area that we feel is reasonably priced.

oops! time 's up for me. i need to log off now and get dressed. i'm still going to attend the workshops offered by the post-graduate course i announced earlier here.

on online dating and marriage...

today marks our fourth month of being a couple. but it seems that we have known each other far longer than that.

the cartoon above is one of my favorites. just shows my apprehensions about online dating. sometimes i've grown used to our method of communication that when we do get the chance to talk on the phone, i'm occasionally stumped, left with nothing but blank thoughts. it's hard to explain but how can you fill in the gaps of conversation like the "lol" and "hehe" in basic chatting?

even if we do get to chat every night, it's a sacrifice in a way not to be able to talk the regular manner. but then again, nothing in this world is ever perfect, right? so we settle with what works for now.

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shocking news! a friend of mine announced of her bf's and her plans of getting married soon. i will keep my friend's name in complete anonymity for now as i promised not to tell anyone yet. too late! i'm posting this one on my blog! hehe...

anyways, we weren't really expecting that they decide so soon. i think they're planning to get hitched earlier than me. first question i asked her, "ano bang pinakain sa yo ng bf mo?" hehe! bad friend noh? :P but hey, just a few months ago she was in a dilemma because her bf was already pressuring her to tie the knot and she just wasn't quite ready yet. that's what she told me then.

well, things change. and i suppose she's come to her senses now and she's more sure of herself. i saw that this afternoon, after playing devil's advocate, just to check if she was already firm with her decision. seems like it!

i guess it just hits you when you decide to marry the person you so love. my friend janet asked me earlier how to tell if a person is ready to settle down. in my case, there is this feeling of security that i felt that joseph can only give me. security in all aspects -- emotionally, spiritually, financially, physically. with that, i feel i am assured of a more blissful married life. there is a strong conviction for us to want to be together for the rest of our lives. that, i think, says it all. once you've decided, that's it. end of story.

now i miss my sweetie. in just a week's time, i'll be able to see him and touch him again. i am soooo looking forward to nothing else but that. it'll be our first christmas and new year together. =)

the beaches of san remegio

malayo ang tingin... hehe! this was me when i was in my junior
year in HS (early 90's), looking over the beach of San Remegio
((photo credit: rex)

speaking of Bogo, what i remember most whenever i think of it are the beaches. well, they aren't exactly found in Bogo, but rather in the neighboring town of San Remegio. we used to go there a lot during the summers of the 90's. it was a regular place for us to hang out whenever the weekends would come. so it wouldn't really be a surprise to see me all tanned up in most of my pictures during those times (that explains why the picture above is in black and white... hehe!).

the white beaches of San Remegio then were a haven for us, untouched yet by the commercialization of humans. you can walk for miles along its very wide shores, especially during the low tide. we would typically rent a little cottage by the beach (then costing P25 for the entire day) and spend our time swimming, eating (boiled saba, puso and sinugbang baboy -- yum! :9), kwentuhan and even sleeping. cheap thrills! :-) those were the good days.

i haven't been to San Remegio for quite some time now. i don't know what to expect when we go there this coming christmas. i just hope that it remained to be the beach we used to know -- clean and affordable.

my destiny

heto nag-trip na naman. :-) read on...

The flowering of compassion, through your ability to merge on a feeling level and to empathize with all, is a key theme for you in this lifetime. This propensity to share others' emotional experience has both its blessings and its deficits. At your finest, Leah, you have a deeply-felt understanding of human nature which goes beyond words or intellect, and which enables you to forgive others' misdeeds and make allowances for their weaknesses. You are acutely aware of others' pain, including the emotional wounds and brokenness they carry within, and your ability to listen with an understanding heart and to unconditionally accept people as they are can be a healing influence in their lives. You are inclined to exclude nobody. At a deep level you feel and know your oneness with all creatures, and thus every snail in the garden or stray cat is part of your "heart's family".

However, this same all-embracing emotional/psychic openness and receptivity can be the source of some of your greatest challenges in life. It is easy for you to become overwhelmed by the world and its sorrows, and to seek some form of escape from it and from your own extreme sensitivity; for instance, over using drugs or alcohol or even food to alter your mood, or retreating from life into the unreal world of television or other diversions. You may simply withdrawing into your own private fantasies to avoid confronting the challenges in the physical world. At its worst this tendency can devolve into evasiveness and playing ostrich "about important issues in your life". While your imagination and your sensitivity are the well spring of some of your richest experiences and gifts, if over indulged you may become passive, ineffectual, lost or confused. Especially when young, Leah, you may lack a strong sense of self, of definition and identity, because on a feeling level you identify with others so easily. It can be difficult for you to separate yourself, to know what your boundaries are, when to say no or how to stand up for your own personal interests. Since you are not narrowly focused on self, others may take advantage of your natural generosity and sympathy. Learning and incorporating the concepts of discrimination and clear judgment will enable you to give of yourself in ways that are healthy for you and the ones you are giving to.