My Intimate Baby Shower

March 31, 2013 Leave a Comment
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when one of my closest friends, K, learned that i am pregnant, she immediately told me she’d host a baby shower for me. yes, i have the sweetest and most thoughtful friends. we decided it would be a small one, just a couple of our closest friends, and i gave her the names of my other ilonggo friends so she can contact and invite them herself.

a week before the baby shower, we opted out of the usual dinner-at-a-restaurant event since we wanted it to be more personal. then we thought of A, who has a really nice and quaint cupcake shop, the cupcake theory, and asked if she’d be willing to have us on that day. btw, you all should visit the cupcake theory if you haven’t yet. i loooove their red velvet cupcake and A’s new warm brownie cup is worth a try. thankfully, A said “yes” so we all trooped to the sweet-smelling venue one sunday to celebrate my baby bump.

we had pizza, K’s special spaghetti and R’s bulgogi chicken and ordered cupcakes to our hearts’ desires. nothing beats home-made dishes, especially when they’re specially cooked for you. we have very little pictures of the get-together as we had too much fun eating and talking. thank you again, K and R, for all the love.

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the whole gang. thank you, everyone for coming and celebrating with us!

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a pair of cutesy nikes from Tito C, Tita K and Tita R

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feeding bottles from Tita J, so mommy and daddy doesn’t have to buy a lot

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i feel so blessed to know that my family and i have sincere people who truly look out and support us

Filed Under: Kaith Celebrates, Kaith Loves, Kaith Thanks, Kaith's Friends

The Phantom of the Opera and then Some

September 18, 2012 Leave a Comment
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i am still on Phantom high (case in point: my only LSS are songs from the play.  i find myself humming “think of me,” “angel of music,” and “all i ask of you” since thursday night until this morning.  OA na, i know).  the trip to manila to watch the most popular musical was a spur of the moment decision, thought of and finalized in just a day.  i didn’t expect that i’d be able to see Phantom because 1) i was strapped for cash; 2) i just couldn’t find the perfect date to be able to skip work and leave the children.  but then i said, eff it.  this only happens once in a few years (who knows really when they would be back again?),  might as well see it when i can.

i must say the 2-day vacation leave (my last two for this year!) + plane tickets + play tickets + pocket money were all worth it.  the Phantom of the Opera left me teary-eyed, speechless, breathless and in awe.  it was actually the first stage play (of its magnitude) that i watched and now i have made a promise to myself that if i can, i should watch more and expose the children to musicals, as well.  my most favorite scene would have to be the “masquerade” with all of the elaborate costumes and dancing.  second and the one that took my breath away would’ve to be the first time the phantom brought christine with him to his lair.  i would like to know how they made everything (floating and dancing candles on stage, wispy fog kissing the lake water) work.

since i was already there in the capital, i scheduled meet ups with friends and family.  i am thankful that they all took time out of their busy weekend to hangout with me.  this is the part where i bombard this post with pictures.  LOL.

face of the night

truly worth the trip to manila

with my fellow EA and fan, C

the stage

chanced upon atom araullo during the break so go sa photo op!

Day 2

KBL (kadyos, baboy, langka) from aracama. winner!

the chocnut ice cream of my dreams.  tara and i had a food fest that we forgot to take pictures of us! *groans*

with the blooming soon-to-be-mommy, dea, and M who’s also inlove. LOL.

day 2 was spent with online friends.  we missed you, carina!  after a heavy lunch and early dinner, i rested for a bit then met helga and tin for drinks.  since i am on medication, i only had choco milkshake in stackers then iced tea (yes, i know, how pathetic) in jack’s loft.  by 1AM, i can hardly keep up with the conversation.  i was too tired and spent (one of the side effects of the anti-vertigo treatment med) so i had to excuse myself to go home early. i felt so bad for leaving helga and tin but i don’t want to be a party pooper by being my exhausted self.  i’ll make bawi next time, girls! :)

day 3

sunday was spent with my awesome college friends, T and C.  we were in greenbelt the whole day.  T even accompanied me to watch The Mistress (thanks again, Tara dear, for our tickets!).  then i met my longtime friend A for dinner with her hubby and super cute daughter.

as if all the eating in the mall wasn’t enough, we had to go to midnight mercato to indulge again!

street food, anyone?

crunchy belly FTW!

then Lauren and marco followed and we gorged again on merry moo ice cream and they shared their chorizo paella and fried ice cream.  pardon my greasy fez.  

day 4

day 4 was all about family as i spent the entire day with my cousins A and D and their little boy, A.  we had homecooked lunch then they brought me to the airport

all in all it was a pretty fun and relaxing weekend.  i travel to manila at least once a year so whenever i visit, i try to meet as many people as possible.  till next trip!

Filed Under: Kaith Shares, Kaith Talks to Herself, Kaith's Friends

Of Wedding Bells and Flower Goorls

May 9, 2012 2 Comments
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i love weddings!  and i am one of those who get all teary-eyed while the bride slowly walks down the aisle as everyone gapes at how lovely she is.  i may never have the chance to take this walk myself (yes, i never did, for the curious cats out there) so i try to breathe in the experience from every wedding (and believe me, i can’t even start to count how many weddings i’ve been to since i am old enough to become a flower girl) i have the wonderful opportunity to witness.

a former officemate and friend tied the knot yesterday with his longtime girlfriend and i must say that their wedding is one of the nicest events i’ve attended so far.  it has their signature all over it (he used to be our events organizer here in the office. haha).  he chose our ananda celine to be one of the flower gooorls (that’s how ananda says girls, FYI) and i’m so proud of my little girl, despite her teeny-weeny tantrum while marching (i had to hold her hand halfway through as she got frightened of the crowd).  she didn’t cry, she was just a bit flustered.

here are several snapshots i have taken using my iPhone.  i’m sorry, i barely bring a camera even during special occasions.  i just cannot be bothered.  hahaha.

 

andi, naughty as she is, can be quite moody at times

she knows she’s cute, yes, she does

finally consenting to have her picture taken

with G and D

cute and sweet little boys and girls

a picture, finally, with the newlyweds

congratulations and best wishes to Nino and Chaj!  thank you having us :)

 

Filed Under: Kaith and Mommyhood, Kaith Celebrates, Kaith Shares, Kaith's Friends

Of Road Trips, Detours and Sunburn

February 3, 2012 8 Comments
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for the working class (at least in our company), we’re enjoying six long weekends this year, baby!  and as early as now, my barkada, the #tropangsober (yes, the hashtag should never be forgotten!) has been planning how to spend those weekends.  we started the year with a very fun outing, on the very first long weekend, in oslob, cebu.

oslob is a town down south about three hours from cebu city. the plan really was to see the butandings (whale sharks) thus the place.  but as you may discover later on, we ended up sunbathing and swimming instead, and not even with the friendly giants.

one of the nicest things about this trip, aside from the company of my awesome friends, was that we didn’t spend so much because a) we just crashed the house of A’s family friend; b) we didn’t have to take the bus because we just fit nicely in our friend’s APV (and hurray, i didn’t even have to drive!); and c) we our amazing guy friends manned the kitchen and fed us homecooked meals the whole time.

now, i’m gonna bombard this entry with photos while narrating along the way.  i hope you don’t mind =P

we arrived in oslob around 330PM.  after resting for a bit, we went to visit the town cemetery, which has a wonderful view of the ocean, and the plaza with a sea wall conducive for those afternoon rendezvous. oo, mag date ba sa plaza.  LOL.

after a sumptuous dinner of ginataang munggos with buwad and maskara (roasted pig…er, face?  LOL.), we visited this videoke bar at the back of our headquarters to get the night’s dose of booze and ehem, karaoke.  then we passed by the beach on our way home (this is not a beach like, resort, okay, this is just a public beach, as our friend’s friend’s house is very close to the sea already) to just enjoy the sky-full of stars and the gentle crashing of the waves.  and of course, we just have to dance underneath that blanket of twinkling stars.  this is penthouse, oslob branch, y’all.  LOL.

we were supposed to wake up really early the next day to secure our passes for the whale watching but knowing how langayan we can get, we arrived at the area around 830AM already.  and…we were the 133rd group for that day.  and…the last banca leaves at 1:00PM.  there was no way we would be accommodated.  so…to make a long story short, we didn’t get to see the butandings but instead, rented a banca, and trooped to sumilon island.  which was, i think, one of the best decisions we have ever made as a group, ever since we coined #tropangsober.  LOL.

OMG!  the place was just so beautiful!!!  white, smooth sand.  crystal-clear waters.  the sunburn we all suffered afterwards was soo worth it.  LOL.  i was in the water 75% of the time, under the raging heat of the sun (ohmy, i forgot to mention how perfect the weather was that day).  the last time i swam that long was when i was what, 10???  so now i’m at least two shades darker than my normal skintone.

all in all, it was a super exciting trip with friends.  something that i haven’t done in quite a long while since i am always either alone or with family when i go out of town. i plan to bring raf and andi here during the summer break.  we’ll just bring food so we don’t have to rush going back to the mainland.  the kids will surely enjoy it.

till the next #tropangsober trip! :)

photo credits: @soul_allan and @radj

to those who want to do the same escapade:

  • take a bus to oslob.  we drove on the way there so i can’t really give you the exact details.  travel time on a private vehicle is around three hours.
  • get off at the area where they have the whale-watching.  it’s actually a long strip of small resorts/private resthouses.  what we did was walk a few meters away from the part where the butandings are, where there are bancas for rent.  just ask for any of the manongs there who can ferry you to sumilon island.  boat rental is around P2K for 8 people, extra person charge is P150/pax.
  • this is just a sandbar, okay, so there are no cottages, no tables, no areas where you can cook.  so i just suggest you bring food, picnic blankets, etc. so you can leisurely eat while enjoying the island’s unspoiled beauty.  there are big rocks where you can hang out.  and oh, there are no rest rooms *sheepish grin*
  • for more questions, clarifications, feel free to leave a comment and i’ll try to answer them as best as i can ;)
Filed Under: Kaith Shares, Kaith Shouts Out, Kaith Travels, Kaith's Friends

New Year = More Friends

January 19, 2012 Leave a Comment
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i love how january ushered in a lot of changes in my life.  in my case, it’s really new year = new life.  not all changes are happy ones, still, i believe that things happen for a reason and that we just have to make the most of what we have today.

one of the nicest things that happened to me this month was meeting bloggers whose websites i’ve been following for quite sometime now.  not only is it fun to meet new people, but it’s awesome to be, you know, face-to-face with the person whose thoughts you read almost everyday.

you all know i met maricarl janah and noe mae during the dollface makeup workshop i attended last week.  aside from them, i also got to trade blogger stories with eden of chic in the tropics.  vanessa east and mac were supposed to join us that day but they had to take care of some family concerns so they missed it.  anyway, i know vanessa from our previous company and mac and i saw each other in the MAC event last december.  we’ll hang out some other time.

photo grabbed from dollface cosmetics’ facebook page

then just this weekend, i got to spend time with lauren who’s here with her mom and sister for the sinulog festival.  i first met her in manila, when helga brought me to cubao x the night before we flew to malaysia.  we initially planned to meet up last saturday since she wasn’t doing anything.  we had dinner in ilaputi (hurray to the stroganov) then had some yummy crepes (mango sushi and banana hazelnut, i know, we eat a lot. LOL) at east, west.  she went home to manila just today so we i was still able to show her around tuesday and wednesday.  tuesday dinner was in everything yummy (the ribs and chorizo and corned beef are a must-try!) then drove up to marco polo to have a taste of their heavenly choco lava only served at the blu bar and grill.  for her last dinner in cebu, i brought her to ocean garden (seafood galore).  then we went to alejandro’s to catch trivia night with kristine and decided on dessert at la marea in it park.  tin’s cousin, A, joined us and before we knew it, it was almost 12MN and the shop’s closing.  LOL.  we had so much fun sharing stories that we moved to mooon cafe for a couple of drinks until all the mosquitoes made us decide to call it a night.  hahahaha.

can you tell we love instagramming?  :D

it’s always fun to meet new people who share the same interests as you.  2012, you may be a bit stressful but good job in sending all these new friends my way :)

Filed Under: Kaith Shares, Kaith's Friends

Sinulog 2012

January 16, 2012 Leave a Comment
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may i just say that this is my best.sinulog.celebration.ever!  i haven’t done sinulog in what, seven years, because i was kinda traumatized when we went out during my first and second years here (hint: walking around in uncomfortable shoes and stampede galore).  hahaha.

i don’t know what made me decide to celebrate this year but i’m glad i did.  who knows when i can chant “pit senyor!” again?  my brain is still on “loading” mode so i will just bomb this entry with pictures :D

image grabbed from radj’s twitter account

started the madness with lunch (and dance central to banish the calories brought about by eating too much lechon. LOL) at the chua’s then trooped to mango avenue to supposedly watch the parade but ended up only catching the last contingent while being drenched in the rain.  so we headed to the baseline area where all the crazies (in a good way!) were and had a few bottles of beer while people-watching.

after braving the crowded streets and beer showers (yes, we went from point a to point b by walking), we had dinner at charcoal restaurant as it’s the nearest to our headquarters then hurriedly changed clothes to catch ayala’s fireworks.  one word: awesome :)

then what happened after was a blur of beer bottles, cocktails, dancing, hugging new out-of-town friends, getting pissed and finally a one-hour body massage. i know, malabo.  hahaha. nevertheless, it was one sinulog celebration for the books.  especially that we’ve started partying a few days before the highlight. hahaha. thank you to all my friends who made this year’s event special. and maybe, just maybe, i won’t be chicken enough to go out again next year.  hahaha.

viva pit señor!

Filed Under: Kaith Celebrates, Kaith Shares, Kaith's Friends

Christmas 2011

December 25, 2011 Leave a Comment
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merry christmas from cebu, philippines! and i am blogging in bed, simply because i can. lol.

i just woke up an hour ago, with a really massive headache, thanks to red wine, tequila and beer. spending the break with the casalinas family, who never hesitated to welcome me for the holidays. both raf and andi are in bohol for christmas with their daddy and his family. new year will be in negros with my family.

i hope you’re all having a blast, enjoying this time with family, friends and loved ones. peace, happiness and love. those three things i wish for all of you as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

hugs and kisses!

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Filed Under: Kaith Celebrates, Kaith Talks To You, Kaith Thanks, Kaith's Friends

The Awesome Weekend

December 7, 2011 4 Comments
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i have wanted to post this entry last sunday but i was so sore all over that i fell asleep as soon as i hit the bed.  LOL.

anyway.  i had one of the best weekends of my entire life (no exag!) during our company’s yearend party celebration.  i actually hosted the event, together with D and based on the tweets and “congratulations” that we got *ehem ehem*, i think we did a pretty good job.   it was my first time to handle a very big crowd so i’m quite relieved that i didn’t embarrass myself, nor my friends.  LOL.

that’s me and my partner for the night right there.  we actually used iPads instead of cue cards.  thanks for the awesome idea, M :)

theme was royalty.  i just wore a black cocktail dress, with a matching head dress.  makeup by the amazing ana aviso

my super cool crowd that night.  they’re the most wonderful friends one can ever ask for, promise

then we went to penthouse for the after-party where i felt uh, fabulously, overdressed.  LOL.  but as Kristine says, best be overdressed.  LOL. i have bumped into several acquaintances that night and i had to repeatedly explain that i came from our yearend party.  called it a night (or day, whatever) at 4 AM, went back to that weekend’s headquarters, dozed off, woke up and welcomed sunday with a wicked smile on my face.

despite the body’s protestations, i went on a road trip with R, stopping over only for ice cream and water, and to laugh at some stressful person’s silliness.  finally went home, to be welcomed by my eager children who behaved the whole time (they miss mommy! so they don’t want her to get mad! LOL) and booty-wiggled with andi to the fun happy feet two app until i was too tired to even open my eyes.

ah.  it’s so…nice, to be really, truly happy.  and i guess it only comes when you have let go, accepted your fate, and decide to move on, with only the best intention for everyone, at heart.

hope your wednesday is as bright and cheerful as mine! :)

Filed Under: Kaith at Work, Kaith Giggles, Kaith Remembers, Kaith Shares, Kaith's Friends

Week 2: All About Your Friends

November 22, 2011 Leave a Comment
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i’ve been friends with these girls for 20 years! :)

i am proud to say that i have lots of friends.  and to think that i haven’t really considered myself friendly before.  i used to be a snob, i swear, until i went to college and somewhat developed my social skills.  hahaha.

i categorize my friends into groups: elementary/hometown friends, highschool/bacolod friends, college/dumaguete friends, manila friends, sykes friends, lexmark friends, online friends and those handful who i always introduce as my closest friends.

i have friends who have become almost family.  those whose parents i also call mama/papa, nanay/tatay and who also refer to my parents as their nanay and tatay.  they are usually the ones who have seen me at my worst, yet only laughed and hugged me until i felt better.

scattered in this blog are entries about everyone i hold dear to my heart.  and i will never get tired of saying that i am extremely blessed to have known all these people.  some i rarely see because they’re based outside the country or in another island but whenever we get together, expect a full-blown riot.  i’m thankful to have all these wonderful souls with me, never getting tired of being my cheerleaders, beer buddies, fashion consultants, sounding board, food pals and secret-keepers.

when i went through the most difficult phase of my life last year, my friends have never left my side.  you see, i don’t have anyone else here in cebu save for my husband and children since my mother and sisters are all in negros.  i can’t imagine going through that rollercoaster without my amazing support system.  and i know that whatever happens, they’ve got my back.  one billion thank yous can never be enough for all the awesomeness they’ve brought into my life.

and of course, the best friends you can ever have: your siblings :)

Filed Under: Kaith Loves, Kaith Thanks, Kaith's Friends

The Tropang Sober

September 19, 2011 Leave a Comment
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i am kaith, and this is my confession:  i am, more often than not, always wasted on weekends.  and while this is something people may scoff at, this is a fact i don’t really hide like some dark, deep secret like, say, ugly feet. and while we are at the subject of you know, my love for alcohol (specifically red horse and ila puti’s joy juice), i might as well introduce to you my partners-in-crime whenever i am out at night.

ladies and gentlemen, meet the tropang sober:

J (an adopted member), M, My, R, J and A

the term “tropang sober” is actually a hashtag we’ve coined over at twitter for faster tweeting purposes during nightouts.  how ingenue, right?  LOL.  we’re all confeermed alcoholic drinks-lovers (no preaching here, please, this is my blog anyway) and maybe, in-denial alcoholics.  you might think i’ve known these people all my life.  actually, no.

R and M are my officemates and were my twitter friends even before i knew My, J and A.  then, i can’t recall when we first started hanging out, or when i first met My, J and A (guys, please comment if you can remember!) but ever since we’ve had that first friday (or was it saturday?) drinking session, i’ve always tagged along.  to make a long story short — we met, clicked and bonded over countless beers (and recently, joy juice. ohgoodness, where do i start about my ultimate love for this uncanny concoction of tequila, rhum, four seasons juice and coconut milk?), sisig, spicy squid, chicken fingers and videoke.

now, now.  you might think these people are only good at chugging beers.  nah-ah.  all of them are actually very smartass and amazing at what they do.  tropang sober is a group made up of a computer and online geek, businessman, graphic designer, diva EA, writer and one student who also kicks ass at debate.  and i’m very happy that they’ve also adopted my sisters when i brought them one time to hang with us.

these guys have seen me at my worst and are the best people to go to when you need to either laugh or cry your heart out.  they spoil me, yet also dish out advices (more like, shove down advices down my throat) whenever life’s going down the wrong way.  and while they can be biased as obviously we are good friends, they are objective enough to let me see the other side of the coin.

i only let myself loose when i am with people i trust my life and heart with.  so you can imagine how safe i feel when i am with this group.  yeah yeah, we can always unwind and have fun and relax without getting tipsy or wasted but really, to each his own, right?  i cannot stress how thankful i am to keep meeting and fostering friendships with people whom, i know, don’t and won’t judge me.  i am far from perfect and i have quirks that not a lot of you would understand. and while i don’t take it against anyone, i sure do mind when some get high and mighty and self-righteous about the things i enjoy doing.  live and let live. life’s too short to worry yourself about what other people do when you cannot even fix your own life.  LOL.

so now you know who am i referring to whenever i tweet with the hashtag #tropangsober :)

Filed Under: Kaith Shares, Kaith's Friends

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