Most Bestesest Week of the Year, Part 1

Filed a leave from work for April 28 to 30 and May 2, and apprehensively delegated this harder-than-usual project to my team knowing that after a nine-day sabbatical, work will pile heaps on my desk.

BUT the week has been very very well worth it!!!!

Saturday (April 26)
It was my sister's birthday. Happy birthday, Cheng!

Sabi ni Toto, "Peace y'all brotha in the hood yo, Bronx style ghetto!" Haha.

I headed to the airport to pick up Bonita and his Koya Toto. Boi has been a very very good friend since we were this --> (",) <-- small and the last time she was here was like 8 years ago already! Too bad they have to move to NY for good. Toto's a good friend too and their youngest sister Ava is Cheng's bestfriend. Galing, right?

We then went straight to Lipa where a huuuge banquet was waiting in Mataas-na-Kahoy (it was also Toto's birthday the next day) and y'know how celebrations were in the provinces... it should be a feast! Imbitado ang buong Pilipinas pati ang lolo ng mga lolo nilang lahat! Plus, we contacted all our gradeschool classmates for a reunion. So ayun. Reunion, birthday, salubong party rolled in to one.

Attendance (Batch 97 - FABES): Emon, Ichie + 1, Baje, Ako, Jojo, Choi, Cezar + kid, Alex, Larry, Leah + mate, Joanne, Elsa, Lloyd, Pene + 1, Bonita

Uber reminiscing followed with Saint Mike's Light Barley (San Mig Lights) in tow. Class dismissed at around 2AM.

L-R (but go figure how): Jo, Choi, Ichie + 1, Alex, Pene + 1, Elsa, Cez + 1, Joanne, Baje, Lloyd, Leah + 1, Emon, Larry, Obi, Boi

Sunday (April 27)
For personal reasons, I din't stay at our house in Batangas. During my stay in Lipa, I was at Ate Minette's house. Thanks, te Minette! She's Boi's older sister.

For the same reason, I was never able to visit Lipa for like two years already and a LOT changed. So to catch up, I met up with highschool friends Jai, Wends, and Teta. It rocks to see these people again. La Salle-Lipa is LOVE!

Si Jai, partner-in-crime ko nung HS. One crazy git. He's the one who got me into prose writing (we started with mystery-adventures ala Hardy Boys/Sherlock Holmes). Wendy was the class president and I was the vice for one of the best section I've had in HS... Casino 306! Thus coined because almost all of the class was suspended because of gambling (Lucky 9 sa calculator!)... I was excluded! My smiling-cute-and-cuddly worked wonders for the FSC brothers. Wa-epek lang talaga yun kay Brother Dodo (asa La Salle-Greenhills na daw siya ngayon) kasi suki ako nun sa pag-gunting ng buhok ko pag nahuling mahaba! Haha. Si Teta was me and Jai's nanay back then. Now, she's a mom for real. We're proud of you Kristine!

Ayan. Sausage fest daw si Wendy. (Me, Wends, and Jai)
Monday (April 28)
Maaga pa, sibat na agad kami papuntang Domestic Airport nila Bonita, Toto, and te Minette. We flew to Cebu in a Cebu Pacific airline with Kuya Reden, their bro. He was the captain of that flight. Angas. Coincidentally, Yuki and April were on the same plane. Both has been my tambay-mates back in Sydney.

We stayed at Kuya Reden's suite in Day's Hotel. Lunch was at Grand Majestic Resto with Sir Rhymus (I love saying that... so Victorian) and family. He was my dad's underclassman back in the military flight school. He also toured us around the area from the old Coron Street up to the infamous Vicente Sotto (canister-up-the-wazoo) Hospital. That night, we went clubbing.

Enjoying the view at Fort San Pedro(?)
Wednesday (April 30)
Boi's been sampling the foods that she missed, from Jollibee to Greenwich to Aling Nene's (?) Siopao! That day, we went mall-hopping. First stop: Greenhills - shopping spree ensued. Then, we transferred to the Makati area where hopefully nobody from the office saw me (I told them iL be in Batangas the whole time).

Thursday (May 1)
I was texting my team back in the office as early as 8:00AM (yes, sa opis namin... sobraaang aga pa ng 8AM!) para mangamusta kung buhay pa sila hehe. I was sniggering to myself when one of em replied that it was a holiday. Labor day nga pala haha. Bopols.

Anyway, we drove to Talisay, Batangas. The original plan was to go to Tagaytay and see what we can do there but Koya Joel (who drove for us) thought it would be better to get up close in the crater instead of looking at it from Tagaytay. So from Talisay, we hired a boat to Volcano Island, then from there we did horseback ride up to the crater. Along the way, I was able to have some chit-chats with the locals and realized that I could actually propose a climbing expedition here with my mountaineering mates. That would be a cool prospect, we'll see.

Friday to Sunday (May 2-4)
Singles Encounter Weekend at Angels' Hills, Tagaytay!

Go, Jericho! Go!
Those days have been another set of awesome fun to complete my most bestesest week of the year, so it deserves a separate journal entry. Bukas na lang.

For now, I'm waist-deep with unfinished work here in the office, each clamouring for my preoccupied attention. Masyado pa kong high from the SE Weekend to really do anything full-focus.

Whew!

Most Bestesest Week of the Year, Part 1

Filed a leave from work for April 28 to 30 and May 2, and apprehensively delegated this harder-than-usual project to my team knowing that after a nine-day sabbatical, work will pile heaps on my desk.

BUT the week has been very very well worth it!!!!

Saturday (April 26)
It was my sister's birthday. Happy birthday, Cheng!

Sabi ni Toto, "Peace y'all brotha in the hood yo, Bronx style ghetto!" Haha.

I headed to the airport to pick up Bonita and his Koya Toto. Boi has been a very very good friend since we were this --> (",) <-- small and the last time she was here was like 8 years ago already! Too bad they have to move to NY for good. Toto's a good friend too and their youngest sister Ava is Cheng's bestfriend. Galing, right?

We then went straight to Lipa where a huuuge banquet was waiting in Mataas-na-Kahoy (it was also Toto's birthday the next day) and y'know how celebrations were in the provinces... it should be a feast! Imbitado ang buong Pilipinas pati ang lolo ng mga lolo nilang lahat! Plus, we contacted all our gradeschool classmates for a reunion. So ayun. Reunion, birthday, salubong party rolled in to one.

Attendance (Batch 97 - FABES): Emon, Ichie + 1, Baje, Ako, Jojo, Choi, Cezar + kid, Alex, Larry, Leah + mate, Joanne, Elsa, Lloyd, Pene + 1, Bonita

Uber reminiscing followed with Saint Mike's Light Barley (San Mig Lights) in tow. Class dismissed at around 2AM.

L-R (but go figure how): Jo, Choi, Ichie + 1, Alex, Pene + 1, Elsa, Cez + 1, Joanne, Baje, Lloyd, Leah + 1, Emon, Larry, Obi, Boi

Sunday (April 27)
For personal reasons, I din't stay at our house in Batangas. During my stay in Lipa, I was at Ate Minette's house. Thanks, te Minette! She's Boi's older sister.

For the same reason, I was never able to visit Lipa for like two years already and a LOT changed. So to catch up, I met up with highschool friends Jai, Wends, and Teta. It rocks to see these people again. La Salle-Lipa is LOVE!

Si Jai, partner-in-crime ko nung HS. One crazy git. He's the one who got me into prose writing (we started with mystery-adventures ala Hardy Boys/Sherlock Holmes). Wendy was the class president and I was the vice for one of the best section I've had in HS... Casino 306! Thus coined because almost all of the class was suspended because of gambling (Lucky 9 sa calculator!)... I was excluded! My smiling-cute-and-cuddly worked wonders for the FSC brothers. Wa-epek lang talaga yun kay Brother Dodo (asa La Salle-Greenhills na daw siya ngayon) kasi suki ako nun sa pag-gunting ng buhok ko pag nahuling mahaba! Haha. Si Teta was me and Jai's nanay back then. Now, she's a mom for real. We're proud of you Kristine!

Ayan. Sausage fest daw si Wendy. (Me, Wends, and Jai)
Monday (April 28)
Maaga pa, sibat na agad kami papuntang Domestic Airport nila Bonita, Toto, and te Minette. We flew to Cebu in a Cebu Pacific airline with Kuya Reden, their bro. He was the captain of that flight. Angas. Coincidentally, Yuki and April were on the same plane. Both has been my tambay-mates back in Sydney.

We stayed at Kuya Reden's suite in Day's Hotel. Lunch was at Grand Majestic Resto with Sir Rhymus (I love saying that... so Victorian) and family. He was my dad's underclassman back in the military flight school. He also toured us around the area from the old Coron Street up to the infamous Vicente Sotto (canister-up-the-wazoo) Hospital. That night, we went clubbing.

Enjoying the view at Fort San Pedro(?)
Wednesday (April 30)
Boi's been sampling the foods that she missed, from Jollibee to Greenwich to Aling Nene's (?) Siopao! That day, we went mall-hopping. First stop: Greenhills - shopping spree ensued. Then, we transferred to the Makati area where hopefully nobody from the office saw me (I told them iL be in Batangas the whole time).

Thursday (May 1)
I was texting my team back in the office as early as 8:00AM (yes, sa opis namin... sobraaang aga pa ng 8AM!) para mangamusta kung buhay pa sila hehe. I was sniggering to myself when one of em replied that it was a holiday. Labor day nga pala haha. Bopols.

Anyway, we drove to Talisay, Batangas. The original plan was to go to Tagaytay and see what we can do there but Koya Joel (who drove for us) thought it would be better to get up close in the crater instead of looking at it from Tagaytay. So from Talisay, we hired a boat to Volcano Island, then from there we did horseback ride up to the crater. Along the way, I was able to have some chit-chats with the locals and realized that I could actually propose a climbing expedition here with my mountaineering mates. That would be a cool prospect, we'll see.

Friday to Sunday (May 2-4)
Singles Encounter Weekend at Angels' Hills, Tagaytay!

Go, Jericho! Go!
Those days have been another set of awesome fun to complete my most bestesest week of the year, so it deserves a separate journal entry. Bukas na lang.

For now, I'm waist-deep with unfinished work here in the office, each clamouring for my preoccupied attention. Masyado pa kong high from the SE Weekend to really do anything full-focus.

Whew!