Fireworks at the UPD Lantern Parade

12.18.2009
UP Ampitheater

We actually missed the Lantern Parade, but not the fireworks =)

Hanibersari hangover

This is me blogging about the anniversary date...again. I still can't get over Bibing's anniversary date surprise -- Lea Salonga...Your Songs concert. We both have a roster of adjectives to describe the Lea musical experience: Awesome! Incredible! Fantastic! Superb! Enchanting! But overall, it's a WOW!

We always follow Lea's column at the Inquirer every Thursday. This Thursday's column was something I was especially looking forward to. I was hoping that she would say something about her experience shaping up for the concert and what she thinks about her audience's reception.

And here she did (reposting from Inquirer.net)!

So, how was the weekend? 

By Lea Salonga

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 22:37:00 12/16/2009

SINGAPORE — In a word, my weekend was haaaaaanep!

I could describe the entire week leading up to “Your Songs” as a big high, one that I haven’t descended from.

Allow me now to tell you exactly how the week went, day by day.

***

Dec. 7 — A rehearsal was scheduled for two intensive numbers: “Rehab” with the Philippine All-Stars and the segment with Ai Ai de las Alas.

When I arrived at the Arts in Taguig City dance studio, the All-Stars were already rehearsing. I had seen them in performance and on countless YouTube videos. I was intimidated; I thought I’d be made to pop and lock. But Lema Diaz’s choreography was incredibly feminine (think “Dreamgirls” -like hip sways and tons of tough chick attitude), and I would be dancing with just the girls.

There were moments of sheer confusion, but I got it eventually in two hours. The Ai Ai section took all of half an hour to learn. Dance supervisor Cecile Martinez gave Ai Ai and me lots of room to play around.

After rehearsals, I headed to Rajo Laurel’s studio in Poblacion, Makati to fit my costumes. First fittings are always a bit rough … seconds and thirds bring far more relief.

Dec. 8 — I was called in at 2 p.m. I was singing as I headed to the 2nd-floor rehearsal room when I bumped into Richard Poon. First on the agenda was our love songs medley, with Gerard (Salonga) at the piano. There were a few songs Richard wasn’t familiar with, so when we recorded those, Gerard sang Richard’s parts.

When Ai Ai arrived, FILharmoniKA greeted her with applause and laughter. She gave us a hint of the sort of humor she would unleash during the show. Afterwards, everyone wanted a photo taken with her.

Last to rehearse was Jett Pangan, front man of The Dawn. He was our surprise guest, so everyone armed with a camera was sworn to secrecy! After we rehearsed our Pinoy bands medley, I kept on with more solo work, figuring out how to keep up with Jett’s electrifying vocals. We’ve been friends for a long time, but have never sung together. He’s also kind of a legend, I wanted everything to sound just right.

Dec. 9 — I was in rehearsal for the musical theater medley at 9:30 a.m. and kept going till noon, with just FILharmoniKA and my backup singers Elke, Marisse and Sammy.

Dec. 10 — It’s the first time we would be on stage. At 4 p.m., I was called in with the All-Stars to space “Rehab.” The performance space was different from what the rehearsal studio afforded; we needed to adjust. I had obsessively practiced the choreography at home; still, I tripped up here and there.

Bobby Garcia blocked the guests and me through all the numbers. We then sound-checked songs with FILhamoniKA for the benefit of sound designer Bobbit Jacinto.

During the actual dress run, Rajo Laurel and his staff took notes: pink dress too long, she’s fiddling with her black blouse, that red tuxedo isn’t right, given how much rock she’s singing. Juan Sarte (make-up) and Jeffrey Aromin (hair) were in the house to see what looks would suit each outfit.

At 9:30 p.m., we ran the show for a house full of friends, some members of the press, family and colleagues. The consensus: Good, but way too long. After the run, Bobby, Chari, Gerard and I huddled in a corner and started making cuts. From 3 hours, we shaved off about 45 minutes.

I had blisters on my feet, and my hips hurt. Awesome.

Dec. 11 — Richard Poon was called in early. Our love songs medley had been cut and reconfigured, so we needed to rehearse again.

We had agreed to start the show at 8:30 p.m., given the holiday traffic. I made one huge mistake: I had a huge cup of coffee too close to show time. At the start of the show, I was so dehydrated that things were sticking in places and I was a bit uncomfortable, vocally. Ugh.

After the show, we needed to add something to the encore. I asked Gerard to bring in a song that I really enjoy performing in concert, “Everybody Says Don’t” by Stephen Sondheim.

Dec. 12 — Second nights are generally better for me. I pull out all the stops, take a few more risks and go for broke, because I won’t be singing the next day.

I think the guests felt the same way. As great as they were last night, they were magical tonight.

Ai Ai was in incredible form. The audience wanted an encore so I called her out — and the crowd went wild! We reprised a bit of “Halik” and she was sent off with cheers. I do hope to work with her again.

***

It’s Tuesday morning and I’m sitting in a Singapore hotel room typing out this column, still giddy.

It’s time to start thinking of what to do next! Any ideas?

Two years of wedded bliss!

We are just too happy to have found each other...and the word happy is even an understatement at that.

And quoting our song, we are only too grateful that..."God blessed the broken road that led us straight to (you) each other."

Cheers to many more years of loving, laughing with, and living with each other! 

Dinner with Glen

UP Ayala Technohub
12.13.2009

Went out to dinner with our best man, Glen, right after the Carols by Candlelight concert at the UP CRL -- where we got married two years ago =)

Our anniversary date!

My husband's been giving me hints for the past two months about his big anniversary date surprise. I have this knack of spoiling his surprises kasi, but this time around, I decided not to bite into it. Sige, I'll leave room for the surprise =)

And then came THE Saturday. I had a bit of an idea that we're headed somewhere in Roxas Boulevard. Nah, he didn't keep the suspense for two months just to treat me to the Mall of Asia to see the fireworks, did he?! What is so special about malling?!?!

We roamed around a bit at the mall. I was quiet all the time. When we entered A Venetto for dinner, I was so close to breaking into tears of disappointment. Then he finally told me, that that was not the date yet. He took out something from his pocket -- tickets to Lea Salonga's concert! Awww...I was still teary-eyed, not anymore of disappointment, but of happiness. He got me! Magaling rin pala s'ya magtago ng surprise =)

We both had a fantastic night! Lea is incredibly superb, grabe!

Thank you, Bibingko. I love you more everyday.

(Our wedding anniversary's on the 15th. The concert was held at the PICC, December 12th.)

"Been here, been that!"

I came across these, at natuwa lang ako!

 

This was one of the five cannons of the Old Arsenal (now the head office of the State Archives) that once protected the city of Geneva. At the background are mosaics which give us a picture of the city's history.

At the foreground are two lost turistas. Hahaha!

 

Mine was taken in autumn 2008, while Vincent's was in early spring this year. Same cannon, different times. I wonder when we will ever go back there to see it again and have a picture taken with it TOGETHER.

Giving thanks

Yesterday was Thanksgiving Sunday. We were encouraged at Church that morning. We didn't have roast turkey on the table for Thanksgiving (sa'n naman kami manghuhuli nun?), but we did manage to whip up a simple dinner, despite having a very hectic weekend. We've been running around like two headless chickens for the past two weekends looking for a house (suitable for our needs and budget) we can finally call our own. We feel that one is coming for us soon. We need it already.

We have so much to be thankful for to God -- our lives, our health, our families, our jobs, our bumps and trials (married couples should be thankful for these as well!) and of course, our marriage. We also celebrated our 23rd monthsary yesterday, Thanksgiving Day. Next month will be our second year anniversary and we are really excited about what's in store for us on our third year together. But for now, we are just enjoying everything. And we are grateful everyday for everything.

This year is going to be our third Christmas together and for the first time since getting married, we've put up our first Christmas decor! Yey to us! Hahaha! We are not into crafts and stuff, so this wreath hanging on our front door is definitely our milestone work of art -- our most beautiful masterpiece. Thanks to Yani for teaching us the basics 

Mama's golden year

10.23-25.2009
Iba, Zambales

The entire family went all the way -- travel and videoke -- to celebrate Mama's 50th birthday! Masaya naman sya with her kitchen appliance showcase. Hehehe =)

Korea got our tongues

If you will read through our previous Multiply and FB posts, most were about how the "Korean fever" caught up with us. Thanks to Jan Di, we are now glued on KBS World, more often than we used to on Filipino and English channels. We are also into K-pop (Korean pop) these days. At the height of our addiction with Boys Over Flowers (especially that time when we were on a DVD marathon), not once have we trooped to the nearest convenience store to go get Korean ramen for dinner. Watching them enjoy instant noodles was mesmerizing. Nakakatakam!

A few weeks ago, we discovered this neighborhood Korean food store at the corner of Matalino Street and Kalayaan Avenue (the area is inhabited by a small but growing Korean community). We told ourselves that we will make time to check the store out, and finally, we found the time to go there early this evening (yes, we were again craving for ramen!). Boy, it was Korean food galore! Items there were cheaper than the nearby food mart that we used to go to. They also serve Korean fast food -- this we will definitely try next time.

Ramen and kimchi for dinner.

They also give out an advantage card for free, which entitles you to a 1% rebate with your every purchase.

We were able to down two liters of cold water sa sobrang anghang! Hahaha!

This is the closest we can get to experiencing Korea for now. Who knows, we might get to experience Seoul next year (wishing and praying)?!

Mika's christening

UP Parish of the Holy Sacrifice
Reception at Chateau Verde
09.19.09

Mika is Arman and Nimfa's second child. Nimfa is Christine's best friend since birth =)

Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (09.03.2009)

Berlin Museum of Natural History

Side trip to see the dinosaurs!!! This was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I will be forever thankful to God! One dream comes true. Next things to do are to hug a panda in China and to touch snow in Korea!

Rainy Friday

Stormy weather, NO WORK! Instant long weekend for us. Happiness! ;)

Kewl lola!

Another TV commercial that blew us away!

In this version, she threatened JR, her apo, that she's going to drop him from her Facebook friends list. There's another version where she threatened JR that she's going to "tweet" her angst! Hahaha. Get to know Lola Techie HERE. She's everywhere -- Plurk, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Multiply! How cool is that, no? Ang kulit nya. Hahaha!

We want to be like her when we grow old 

Lab yu...lab yu...lab yu...

OO NA. We're fans!  We scurry home from work just to catch this. We wouldn't want to miss an episode! 

Love you, love you, love you lang ang alam naming line kantahin. Hihihi...

Happy 18th monthsary to us! :D

Binsent in Berlin (06.08-13.2009)

So little time, so much to see. Ito muna for now. The trip was pure work for me. Salamat kay Elma, nakalabas ako kahit isang gabi. Elma and Midea are just going around Berlin. Elma is a PhD fellow at the Universität Bremen.

Missing Bibing

I successfully forced myself to eat my very late lunch about an hour ago. Actually, I scoured the fridge for some leftovers I could call lunch. Kung 'di lang ako ginutom, 'di ako kakain. I was crying over my food, literally and figuratively.

Vincent is off to Berlin for yet another week-LOOOOONG commitment for his org. This is not the first time (and will definitely not be the last for now) that he's off somewhere out of town or across the globe for work, though. When he arrives next Sunday, he'll be hopping the plane one more time two days later for a three-day field work in Bohol ('B' na naman). Given that, I should have been a veteran wife on this department by this time. But no, I haven't gotten used to it. The same nagging sentiment is there every time -- malungkot.

Since his leaving this morning, the awfulness of being left alone again has started creeping in to me. This time, the feeling was more reminiscent of what I felt when I was in Geneva last year -- dreading weekends (to add insult to injury, long weekend is up ahead), eating/cooking dilemmas, seeking pathetic solace on chores...it wasn't the most fantastic feeling of all. I remember contesting to him then that between the two of us, I was the loneliest. That he was luckier than me because whenever he feels like talking to someone, he can always call his friends or cross over to his brothers' house and while his time away; and I didn't have that kind of thing going on the other side of the world. He'd disagree. He said coming home to an empty house everyday for three months was the worst of all the worse feelings you can imagine. It was hard to believe him then, but now I do. I feel the same way. Sure, he'll just be away for a week, but it's the same loneliness I'll have to endure.

Hindi pa rin ako sanay at hindi 'ko alam kung masasanay ako sa ganito. Sunday, come quick! Miss na miss na kita, Bibingko.

Kaloy's dedey!

When Kaloy was a toddler, he used to pronounce his name as "Taloy".

Celebrating our pamangkin Kaloy's 8th birthday. Same people, lots of food! :D

Chikitings!

After seeing these adorable kids on TV, just like the other little girl, maybe one or two (twins?) will come from us soon. 

You have a heart of stone 'pag di ka naantig sa kanila!

Here's the little boy who didn't make it to the basketball team...

And here's the tiny tot was so used to living in a matchbox of a home that when they finally moved in to a bigger one, s/he (couldn't figure out if it's a boy or a girl) only noticed the difference later on na lang...

Adorable, aren't they?!?! Awwwwww...

Mumuy and Mingming meet Blush

We invited Peach and Boots for dinner at our place last Wednesday, which incidentally, happened to be our 16th monthsary Vincent met Peach in Mexico while I was in Geneva last year. A few weeks after that, I met her in a bus in Geneva (read the story HERE)! She was also Vincent's major host when he was in Switzerland last month.

Peach is currently holing up in town. We had a wonderful time with her, Boots and Blush -- their little bunny! Mumuy and Mingming also enjoyed bonding with their new friend.

The new berks --

The proud parents --

Every flavor Swiss fruit tea! Naiyak kami dito! Thanks, Peachay!

Lenten break in Zambales (day 3)

04.11.2009
Trip sa beach!

Lenten break in Zambales (days 1 & 2)

04.09-10.2009
Bukid, kalabaw, provincial life, enjoy!

How well do you know your better half?

We got this tag from Facebook. Let's just say we only know each other by 97-98%. He did play sports in high school. That she didn't know for sure. Her heritage is not purely Manileña. Her parents are from North-north Luzon. He probably forgot that.

Fun-fun lang!


1. S/He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen? 
-- E! Kahit anong showbiz at involved ang sino mang Hollywood celebrities.
-- GUNDAM! Kahit anong may robot.


2. You're out to eat, what kind of dressing does s/he get on her salad?
--- Di naman niya type yun e, KFC buti pa!
--- No particular preference. Whatever is there, he eats.


3. What's one food s/he doesn't like?
--- PANGAT NA ISDA!
--- Oh, FRIED CHICKEN, na favorite ko naman. He doesn't find anything special about it.


4. You go out to eat and have a drink. What does s/he order?
--- Soda...Coke!.
--- Fruit juice, minus the ice.


5. Where did s/he go to high school?
-- Holy Family School (1st and 2nd year) and Marillac Academy in Iloilo (3rd and 4th years - VALEDICTORIAN ang lola niyo dun!)
-- Zambales National High School


6. What size shoe does s/he wear?
--- di ko alam, basta maliit paa niya at magkakamukha sapatos niya.
--- secret na ito :D


7. What is her/his favorite type of sandwich?
-- peanut butter sandwich.
-- Whatever type he himself whips up.


8. What would this person eat every day if s/he could?
-- manok, manok at manok hanggang tubuan siya ng pakpak or ng buni...whichever comes first!
-- Isda at gulay


9. What is her/his favorite cereal?
--- She's not into cereals. Kanin kaya?
--- He's not into cereals.


10. What would s/he never wear?
--- Pointy and elevated shoes, sleeveless dress and anything na magmumukha siyang tao...kidding! yabyu dear
--- Coat and tie suit ensemble, and skinny jeans! Hahahaha!


11. What is her/his favorite sports team?
--- naku mahirap to, alam ko lang naglalaro siya ng volleyball nung may paliga sa barangay nila...wahahaha
--- He likes tennis. Walang team-team dun diba?


12. Who did s/he vote for?
--- Whoever she thinks is deserving.
--- Whoever he thinks is deserving.


13. Who is her/his best friend/s?
--- Inday and Yani
--- Glen and Datsun...that was before he met me. Hehehe.


14. What is something s/he does that you wish s/he wouldn't do?
--- make me feel guilty every time I hold the TV remote and take my siesta..
--- Channel surfing. Madalas akong maging nagging wife to him when it comes to this.


15. What is her/his heritage?
--- Manileña
--- Zambaleño


16. You bake her/him a cake for her/his birthday, what kind of cake?
--- I don't bake. I buy...wahahaha...type niya chocolate
--- I don't bake. He's not into cakes, really. One exception: black forest cake.


17. Did s/he play sports in high school?
--- Yup...volleyball nga sa paliga at luksong tinik with her school friends...hehehe
--- No. Singer daw sya e. Hehehe (yabyu bingko!)


18. What could s/he spend hours doing?
--- Maglinis ng banyo at lababo and vice-versa
--- Paulit-ulit manood ng Gundam in English, Japanese subtitled in English, English dubbed in Filipino.


19. What is one unique talent s/he has?
--- Making people talk, kahit ayaw mo magsalita... I so admire her for that
--- Cooking. He said he thought that all homo sapiens can cook, until he met me :)

Weekend with the Navarros, Navaleses, and Franciscos...

We celebrated mine (March 7th), Ate Letty's (March 31st) and Ate Naw's (March 28th) birthdays...yumyum!

Binsent's Geneva Getaway

3 days in Geneva...gusto kong bumalik!

My 21st (hehehe) berdey c",)

07 March 2009... to "celebrate my coming of age," I decided to throw a simple dinner party. The night was a blast since it has been a while since we last had dinner together in our pad. My brothers are all there and I really enjoyed that night. We had a blast foolin around with the camera... here are some pictures of that night c",).

But not like this --

We saw this Fullhouse comic strip over last Sunday's Inquirer. We will do whatever we can in our power and invoke the heavens, if need be, to not raise a troublemaker like this! 

We'll try to have our cookie bundle soon 

My domestication

I just finished cleaning our house -- toilet and bath included. My arms and back are in pain and my hands are dry and chemically white from the combination of all cleaning products I used. I may be tired, but here's the punch line: I FEEL SOOOOOO GOOD!

A few days before getting married, Vincent and I agreed that when it comes to our household chores, we'll have to have equal division of labor. Walang gulangan! If one does the laundry, the other will take charge of the house cleaning. Then we take turns, weekends in and out. On weekdays, we take turns at cooking breakfast and our packed lunches (for work) every other morning. We sometimes outwit each other with lunch ideas and I am often the biggest loser in this department. Thirteen months of being married and I'm still a pedestrian cook.

A year ago I said HERE that yes, I never cleaned the fridge and bathroom ever before in my entire life, until marrying Vincent Abrigo. A year has passed and now I'm overdoing those chores naman. I get so obsessive-compulsive with these two, I would often (if not almost always) freak out whenever I see a spot of dirt on the bathroom floor and would often (if not always) accuse Vincent that it's his (kawawa naman, tsk...tsk...). Well, he's learned his lesson. When I'm the "cleaner", he steers clear as far away as he can from me. I use my hands and mouth when I clean. May kasamang sermon lagi. His great escape lately is sleep. He slept the afternoon away when I did the bathroom a while ago.

I never imagined myself ever deriving gratification from my domestication. Months ago, I would ask Vincent from time to time, "Domesticated na ba 'ko?", to which he'd say, "Konti pa." Nowadays when I tease him, "Bibing, domesticated na ba 'ko?", his exclamation: "AY, SOBRA!" Sobra because my hands are not enough.

Hapi terteenth mantsari!

Hapi! Hapi! Hapi! We still count in months...and soon, in years

At RyeIon's Wedding

10 January 2009, 7:30AM
Mt. Carmel Church
New Manila, Q.C.

Ion and Rye are our friends from the Main Library. It was the couple's dream wedding come true! We're very happy for them.

Oh, we won the couples' banana game, therefore earning the bouquet and garter! Hehehe.

We count our 2,008 blessings

We believe that the past year brought in an overflow of blessings into our lives ten fold. Or maybe even 2,008 times more! Don't get us wrong, though. We also had our share of crests and troughs. We're regular people too.

We sat together and reflected on what our blessings were last year. Frankly, we can only think of the major ones. Overall, we both agreed that God never once disappointed us. This is truly convicting because looking back now, God made everything fall into place despite our stubbornness on all aspects. All we know is that every persistent claim we asked of Him, He granted. These, we say, are seeds of faith that He planted in our hearts, so that when the toughest of trying times come flooding in our lives, we will not crash through. We can always go back and reap the seeds.

Here are the nine major blessings we received last year, out of 2,008. The 1,999 other blessings we may not be able to identify, but we know we experienced for sure


Our marriage. OF COURSE. It's a no brainer! All the days we lived together as husband and wife were all quality times spent, even while we were separated by space and differed by time for three months last year. God indeed blessed the broken road that led us straight to each other


Our families. 2008 was a trying time for our families from both sides. A first cousin from Bangkok died in August when both of us were out of the country, and then our grandmother died the following month. But these deaths only bound us all closer together. It's always a blessing to have very supportive families around to embrace you.


Our health. Although we caught the bug last May, we are still blessed to have not suffered any illnesses last year. Our goal this year is to live a healthy lifestyle (memo to us).


Geneva, Mexico and Bangkok. Grabe, these are really testaments of unrelenting faith, especially the Geneva and Mexico trips. Just when we were becoming half-hearted about these (no housing afforded for Geneva, transit visa and ticket problems...), God pulled it all off!  

Our jobs.  We got the job transfer (Vincent's) we've been praying for at mid-year. We are grateful to God for our jobs.


More savings and loans cut back. We were able to come by 60% of our goal savings last year. It's not 100% but still, it's great! Plus, we were able to pay off half of one major loan and cleared one headache of a credit card. Haaay, sarap ng feeling!


PB, Chimei and our Philips contraptions. PB (Packard Bell) is our high-speed, light-weight notebook computer. We needed one like her and we got it Chimei is how we call our desktop computer. We named her that as this is the brand name of our PC's LCD. We've been upgrading her ever since we got her early last year. As for the "contraptions", we are suckers for everything Philips and always wanted to acquire Philips machines. At the end of the year, our TV, mini-component, even our clock radio and MP3 Go Gear are all Philips (save for the DVD player and Chimei's speakers, which were part of our first acquisitions after getting married). Sweet!


Mingming. Losing Ting-ay was really heart-breaking, but having Mingming around was comforting. She kind of reminded us of Ting-ay. It was fun having her as our new bedmate.


Our anniversary honeymoon. This was something we so looked forward to at the end of last year. We blogged about it HERE. It was the best first anniversary honeymoon ever! We had a grand time.



We're just excited about what's in store for us this 2009. We will continue to count our 2,009 blessings

By the way, while making this list, this song was being played over our FM radio. 'Guess this will be our theme song for each other this year -- and God's for us, too.



Longer
Dan Fogelberg

Longer than there've been fishes in the ocean
Higher than any bird ever flew
Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens
I've been in love with you

Stronger than any mountain cathedral
Truer than any tree ever grew
Deeper than any forest primeval
I am in love with you

I'll bring fire in the winters
You'll send showers in the springs
We'll fly through the falls and summers
With love on our wings

Through the years as the fire starts to mellow
Burning lines in the book of our lives
Though the binding cracks and the pages start to yellow
I'll be in love with you
I'll be in love with you

Longer than there've been fishes in the ocean
Higher than any bird ever flew
Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens
I've been in love with you
I am in love with you

New Year's Eve 2009

Our first time to celebrate the New Year at home together. Last year, it was Christmas eve with Mike.

Before the clock strikes 12, we attended the New Year's Eve service at church and passed by Auntie Ninang's house and had dinner with her, Sheryl and Sherwyn (libreng kain, hehehe). We left hastily (eat and run!) because of the firecracker scare, although we're grateful to God for the rain showers. Less paputok, less smoke.

At home, we feasted on penne in red sauce, salad, roasted chicken and sweet white wine. We insisted on the wine, but chose the less alcoholic and sweet one -- our preference. Surprisingly, our tummies are still okay. Hehehe.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, FRIENDS!