december 2, 2006 - meet the parents

we finally had the chance to introduce our parents. papa arrived first at old spaghetti house. soon after jason's parents, tita nette and tito benny, followed. introductions were made and slowly the three of them didn't need much prodding from jason and me to start a conversation. i just wish that mama could have been there. but i did bring out her picture so that my future in-laws somehow would know what my mom looks like. they would have liked her more in person.

papa has a way with people. he immediately got into an animated conversation with tita and tito about things that they all were interested in. they talked about golf, bonsai and gardening and of course about the wedding. it was tita nette who opened the topic about the wedding. she said,"paano ba yan? di na daw magpapapigil 'tong dalawa." then tito benny followed with,"wala ng solian ha? di mo na pwedeng isoli si jason." hehehe! papa was smiling lang all this time. it's the first wedding for both families. and i guess they're all excited too. the three of them expressed that they will be there for us. and if we need any help, we shouldn't hesitate to talk to them about it.


to papa and mama, thank you for all the support and for accepting jason into the family. i love you both very much!

to tita nette and tito benny, thank you for making me feel welcome since day one. thank you for accepting me. don't worry, wala na po talagang solian sa amin ni bochong. hehehe!

it has arrived!

last night i received a phone call from jason. he said that he was holding a box with something inside that had holes in the middle...lo and behold! it was a box of krispy kreme donuts! sugar rush! it really is delicious. it melts in your mouth not in your hand. hehehe!

longganisa, empanada and a bonus chopper ride

i should have written about this the day we got back. but there were too many pictures to upload and so many things to remember. rica, kathy and i went on a long overdue vacation to laoag and vigan. of course there were others who made our stay extra special. we would like to thank the following:

lola taling: thank you for the inspiring stories and lessons on life, love, relationships and waiting (kathy, very very long wait. hehehe!) you shared with us.

manong norbert: our kind kutchero who took most of our pictures in vigan. pwede ka ng photographer!

carmina the horse: thank you for the smooth ride.

tito romy: rica's dad who took us for a ride in his chopper. thanks talaga tito! enjoy talaga kami.

tito bing: tito romy's friend, salamat po at nakasama pa sa amin sa chopper si jason. batas talaga kayo. hehehe!

kathy and rica: to my beautiful friends, it was really fun. let's do this again...hongkong ba? hehehe!

anyway, i will let the pictures tell you about the fun we had. enjoy!

my best friend...my mama

she gave birth to me 17 days before her 22nd birthday. i'd like to think that i was an early birthday gift. since then she has always been there for me. through all the good and the bad. my mom has been in arizona for more than three years now and i miss her more and more each day. i miss our spur of the moment mall bonding (my mom can stay in the mall for hours and not get tired!), occassional drinking sessions (kwentuhan lang naman kami. hehehe!), i even miss going to farmers market with her...i also miss giving her gifts on special days such as this one.

to my mama,

even if we're miles apart remember that i'll always be your best friend. happy, happy birthday! i love you!

always, camille

HOTC (house of the cross)

to jandy, justin, batchang, ozzie and gf chelly: thanks for welcoming me into the family and remember joo thuck! hehehehe! mwah!

the best birthday i've ever had!

last saturday (october 14, 7:30pm) jason and i went to eastwood to meet up with his friend jay ( a DJ at 89.9 magic). when we got there, jason asked me to go inside the booth and take a seat. he came in and sat beside me then dj jay and dj max speed went on air. jay welcomed us and said, "we have our friends here, jason and erika the ringless fiancee. jason you're such a cheapo! hehehe!". to which jason replied, "jay you know what, i hate it when you diss me like that. tonight i'm gonna prove you wrong". next thing i knew jason was on his knee with an engagement ring, "erika, will you marry me?". of course i said YES! i couldn't explain how i felt...i was so surprised! it was truly a moment i will never forget. i just hope they got to record the proposal. it's something i won't get tired of listening to.

afterwards we went to lemuria where we had the best dinner yet. we had seared scallop salad, smoked scarmoza ravioli and pumpkin soup with duck flakes. for our main course we had lamb shank and lemon grass prawns with wild rice mushroom risotto. our dessert was really mouthwatering: chocolate souffle with mandarin ice cream. it had melted truffles in the souffle! yummy! thanks to chef golda and chef rudolf!

hon, this is the best birthday ever! i can't thank you enough. i love you to the moon and back times infinity!

stranded

i can't believe i spent the night in my office. around 5:30 yesterday afternoon, we experienced heavy rains in antipolo. this apparently caused flashfloods and landslides in nearby barangays. my assistant and i waited til the rains stopped then we took a tricycle to the city proper but the traffic was horrible...water was everywhere. we saw people walking and we heard them say that the water was 5 feet deep! we were left with no choice but to go back. even my youngest brother was stranded somewhere in cainta with his college friends.

my heart goes out to those who lost a member of their family because of this incident. it was totally unexpected. right now, the province of rizal is under the state of calamity. hopefully things will go back to normal.

i have a new toy!

last friday (sept. 15), jason and i went to glorietta. we weren't exactly looking for a new digicam but there it was courtesy of BPI madness!

thank you honey for my new toy! trigger happy na naman tayo nito! hehehe!

flavor of the month

believe it or not i'm referring to friendships. have you ever had friends who you thought were gonna stick with you no matter what? have you also had friends who suddenly changed without you knowing why? this group of friends just suddenly lost interest in you and found a new friend...and suddenly you're out of the picture. they found a new "flavor of the month".

this is pathetic really. i realized that they have no permanent friends. why? because there's always someone new who comes along. when they get bored with that friend, they eventually find someone else. this time this person sticks around for the entire ride because he/she wants to be part of a group.

they only make their presence felt when they need something from us. oh well! it doesn't really matter coz i know who my real friends are. and besides, the only flavor of the month i truly care about is the newest ice cream flavor of FIC lite...Vanilla Flan. hehehe!

we're engaged!

papa gave us his blessing last august 13, 2006. mama gave her blessing a week ago. i still can't believe it...we're engaged! there's no ring involved (yet. hehehe!) but it doesn't matter. i am just sooo happy and excited. we already booked the venue for the ceremony and reception: the blue gardens (www.thebluegardens.blogspot.com) and the wedding will be on december 15, 2007.

i just hope and pray that mama's papers get fixed this year. i really want her to be at my wedding...it won't be the same without her.

3 birthdays and a blessing

yesterday we had dinner at jason's house. our friend, chef rudolf, cooked us a feast. everyone loved the food especially the 3 birthday celebrants: tito benny, tita clary and justin. we started with prosciutto, olives, brie and camembert cheeses. then we had seared tuna salad with sesame cilantro dressing.




followed by the main course which was grilled tenderloin with red wine & shitake mushroom sauce and a little bit of balsamic reduction. it was served also with roasted garlic mashed potato and crispy taro strips.



for dessert we had mango flambe in puff pastry with pistachio ice cream on the side.



we also had sans rival by ozzie and tiramisu by tita nette...both were absolutely amazing! the dinner was perfect.

out of the blue somewhere in the middle of the steak and dessert...tita nette told jason's dad that we had something to tell him. she wanted us to tell him about our plan to get married next year. in short,"magpaalam na kayo sa papa nyo." and we did...we have their blessing! jason was relieved too. it wasn't so hard telling his folks. his siblings, cousins and titas were there too and they were all smiling when we made the announcement. tito benny even teased us and said,"it's about time."

now we still haven't asked for my papa's blessing but he does know of our plans. jason has yet to formally ask him. and he will soon...

happy 3rd anniversary!

...never a dull moment honey!

something to think about...

THE GREATEST ADVICE

Don't date because you are desperate.
Don't marry because you are miserable.
Don't have kids because you think your genes are superior.
Don't philander because you think you are irresistible.

Don't associate with people you can't trust.
Don't cheat. Don't lie. Don't pretend.
Don't dictate because you are smarter.
Don't demand because you are stronger.

Don't sleep around because you think you are old enough and know better.
Don't hurt your kids because loving them is harder.
Don't sell yourself, your family, or your ideals.
Don't stagnate!

Don't regress.
Don't live in the past. Time can't bring anything or anyone back.
Don't put your life on hold for possibly Mr/Mrs Right.
Don't throw your life away on absolutely Mr Wrong because your biological clock is ticking.

Learn a new skill.
Find a new friend.
Start a new career.
Sometimes, there is no race to be won.
Only a price to be paid for some of life's more hasty decisions.

To terminate your loneliness, reach out to the homeless.
To feed your nurturing instincts, care for the needy.
To fulfill your parenting fantasies, get a puppy.
Don't bring another life into this world for all the wrong reasons.

To make yourself happy, pursue your passions and be the best of what you can be.
Simplify your life. Take away the clutter.
Get rid of destructive elements: abusive friends, nasty habits, and dangerous liaisons.
Don't abandon your responsibilities but don't overdose on duty.

Don't live life recklessly without thought and feeling for your family.
Be true to yourself.
Don't commit when you are not ready.
Don't keep others waiting needlessly.

Go on that trip. Don't postpone it.
Say those words. Don't let the moment pass.
Do what you have to, even at society's scorn.

Write poetry.
Love Deeply.
Walk barefoot.
Dance with wild abandon.
Cry at the movies.

Take care of yourself. Don't wait for someone to take care of you.
You light up your life.
You drive yourself to your destination.
No one completes you - except YOU.

It isn't true that life does not get easier with age.
It only gets more challenging.
Don't be afraid. Don't lose your capacity to love.
Pursue your passions.

Live your dreams.
Don't lose faith in God.
Don't grow old. Just grow YOU!

When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you'll never get back. Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time.

Relationships take time and effort, and the best way to spell love is T-I-M-E because the essence of love is not what we think or do or provide for others, but how much we give of ourselves.


-Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life

rent

i can't get enough of this musical. what struck me the most was the relationship of angel and collins. their love for each other was unconditional...and i think it's the type of love that people dream of.

I'LL COVER YOU
live in my house i'll be your shelter
just pay me back with one thousand kisses
be my lover, i'll cover you

open your door i'll be your tenant
don't got much baggage to lay at your feet
but sweet kisses i've got to spare
i'll be there and i'll cover you

i think they meant it
when they said you can't buy love
now i know you can rent it
a new lease you are my love on life
be my life

just slip me on
i'll be your blanket
wherever, whatever i'll be your coat

you'll be my king and i'll be your castle

no...you'll be my queen and i'll be your moat.

i think they meant it
when they said you can't buy love
now i know you can rent it
a new lease you are my love on life
be my life

i've long to discover something as true as this

so with a thousand sweet kisses i'll cover
(when you're cold and you're lonely)
with a thousand sweet kisses
(you've got one nickel only with a thousand sweet kisses i'll cover you)
when your heart has expired
oh lover...i'll cover you

birthday dinner and a movie

yesterday was jason's birthday and we celebrated by having dinner at bubba gump in greenbelt 3. we had penne pasta with shrimps & scallops in tomato cream sauce and ping pong shrimp. we can never have enough shrimp.:D




after dinner, we went straight to cinema 2 to watch the lake house. surprisingly, we liked the movie...and especially the glass lake house. it might look like you won't have privacy in that house but it really doesn't matter because the view is really breathtaking! anyways, going back to the movie...the story revolves around kate forster and alex wyler who exchange letters dated 2 years apart. they fall in love and plan to meet but something happens and kate ends up alone waiting. she decides to end things with alex and asks him to stop leaving letters in the mailbox. but he was persistent. he kept writing until the time came when he had to leave the house. but like other love stories, they had a happy ending.

happy birthday papa!

last night i succeeded in giving papa a surprise party. the look on his face was PRICELESS! all the conniving, preparations, text and phone calls were all worth it. and i wouldn't have done it without these wonderful people...

to my cousins:
myke and anne - thank you so much for the drinks, tablecloth and decorations! papa really believed the party was for you anne. hehehe!
anya and allan - thank you for the chocolate cake.

to my friend:
rudolf - thank you so much for cooking up a feast last night! the food was absolutely great! yeba!

thanks to my brothers and sisters too for serving as decoys and for making sure that papa gets to the party on time. to our relatives and family friends, thank you so much for coming. you all made papa feel very special last night. everyone who meant the most to him were present at his party.

and of course to jason, my bebe, thank you for waking up early (i know how hard this is for you. hehehe!) and for going to shopwise and farmers with me. love you hon! and happy birthday to you too!

happy birthday again papa! i love you!

do you follow rules?

i am an operations manager at a convention center in antipolo. i came up with guidelines and rules for participants to follow to keep this place conducive for learning. but i think pinoys have a knack for breaking one to many rules. this just ticks me off!

just last wednesday, the tips of 2 of the cue sticks at the billiards area appeared to have been snapped off by force. obviously, whoever used it left it there for everyone to see without knowing who was responsible for the damage. but they just acted like kids when i started asking around. no one would own up to it. they kept saying that they used it but left it in good condition. so i had no choice but to charge it to everyone who was there that night. fortunately 5 of the male participants had the good conscience to come to my office and apologize for what happened. they volunteered to talk to the others who played and split the cost among themselves. before they left both cue sticks were paid for and i had enough money to have them repaired. hats off to those guys who knew that they had to do the right thing.

but today is totally different. i received a report today that 4 male participants were playing billiards while drinking emperador brandy at that! my roving guard told them that it was prohibited to drink while in the center's premises. they stopped but apparently after the guard left they went back to their bad deed. hmp! these men are supposed to be educated people but what they did proved otherwise. it was just a simple rule and yet they couldn't abide by it. i guess i will just have to deal with them later after their seminar. i wonder how they did with their written exam? i'm betting they couldn't get their thoughts together.

blogging helps...

i never thought i'd say this but blogging helps...at least for me. it helps me get rid of my anxiety, depression (not that there's reason for me to be depressed) and other negative feelings. it also helps me express happiness, excitement, etc. i can write about anything and everything under the sun.

for instance, i can write about my dream of being one of gil grissom's csi agents or that i wouldn't mind having dr. gregory house as my diagnostician. hmmm....i'll write about these dreams in my next blog. right now i have to go coz this migraine is really making my head throb. and this time around, i know my blog won't be able to help...