Went to Cubao at 1) 7 PM on a 2) FRIDAY 3) BEFORE A MAJOR HOLIDAY so I could go home. Talk about a commuter trifecta. Stood in line but ended up in a near-stampede because the bus driver didn’t give a fuck about lines, apparently. Ended up standing inside the bus for more than an hour, while those who didn’t stand in line got seats. Got home at 9, and all the frustrations fell away. Is now bathed and happy. There’s no place like home. Merry Christmas!

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Some of my favorite pictures taken in the past few weeks:

Inquirer Research batch 2005 to present (with Jaykie!)

The Editorial Party Fuel gang

This family picture was taken at my Lola’s birthday party/family reunion. We haven’t had a family picture taken in a long, long while, so this is pretty special.

Picture of a picture, so forgive the bad quality.

Too bad my mother wasn’t looking at the camera!

Look at me and Jaykie looking so enthusiastic! HAHAHA. (We were hungry.)

I guess some yearender blog posts are in order? Yes? Yes?

christmas, in photos

These photos are late, damn!

Research Christmas Party + Editorial Christmas Party + Photobooth session + pictures from home

Photos from Almi, Kate, and Princess.


 

 

 

 

 

With the Managing Editor:

The EIC buried in an avalanche of employees:

Schatzi won something! I didn’t win anything! Almi’s not pleased.

We really fell in love with the (makeshift) photobooth:

I am happy to report that my Free Press trophy reached home okay. (And yes those are cheesy portraits of my parents nyaha.)

Brought home Inquirer shirts for my family. Knife and potato not included.

I spent most of my vacation watching Top Chef and ABDC, haha.

I’m of the mind to actually buy one of these cell phones. So small and cute!

Crema de fruta!

Aaaand photos of my brother swallowing things:

epic picspam

CPK + Chili’s

Suzuki Cup! Philippines versus Indonesia! We couldn’t finish the game at the office, so we went out to catch the latter half of the game, and to ingest food and alcohol.

Notice that Kate couldn’t take her eyes away from the game haha!

Jake, too.

So many near-goals argh.

Anyway, food:

We lost in the end (aw), 1-0.

Oh, well.

A table at Chili’s became available, so out we go.

Kate looking on as Jake does his mental arithmetic:

Chili’s for premium wasakan.

We brought the party to the elevator.

With photos from Almi.

Lantern Parade + Tomato Kick

Jaykie and I went to UP early to avoid heavy traffic. Played Hearts with the HGC boys, had lunch.

At 3 p.m., it rained. We thought the parade would be canceled, but at 4 the skies cleared, and at 4:30 the first floats were wheeled down the Acad Oval.

Jaykie’s waiting.

The crowd waiting at AS.

“Ayan naaaaaaaaaaaa.”

Jaykie was eyeing these toys, so I bought him one.

He loved it.

I also bought one for myself, plus some devil horns, haha.

More scenes from the Parade:

The boys in their album cover poses.

Evil Jaykeh.

Jaykie got interviewed! Don’t know what station, but even before the camera could approach us I was already running away, saying, “I work for a newspaper! I can’t be in the story!”

The campus was in such a festive mood that I didn’t mind the long walk from AS to Bahay ng Alumni, where Jaykie parked his car.

Off to Technohub, where we had Chinese, and where Beej received a call from Tope who said he’s in %&$gggftq Avenue. “Where?”  %&$gggftq Avenue. Either that’s static, or he’s an Elder God.

It was static. /disappointment. Charot.

The 17th was also our fourteenth monthsary. Happy 14th, Jaykie!

With photos from Jme.

Trinoma date + Jaykie’s CD collection

We went to Trinoma for some late Christmas shopping, and a date over pasta and fries.

I wore this new pair of stockings from Schatz. I love the pattern. I should get more of these stockings.

We bought our first conjugal property: a 500-gigabyte portable storage device. Please don’t die too early.

Later that night I raided Jaykie’s CD collection. I’m in love with the album covers (of local bands, especially).

All that drinking and partying did a number on my immune system (I’m coughing like there’s no tomorrow), but I’m still looking forward to my holiday vacation with my family next week.

and so

Riding on the high brought by having just seen Into The Woods in its entirety, I’m wishing everyone a very merry Christmas. I don’t know where you are, but here the night of December 24 is crucial. I’ll be home for the countdown to midnight. :)

This year’s coming to a close, the speed of everything surprising as always. Wishes for 2009: more songs, more stories (yesterday I received word from Free Press that they’re going to publish my short story next week, hooraaaay) (and I finally found the time to read Richard Price’s Clockers) – who would wish for sad times? But if they do come, I hope they’re not too destructive. I hope they’re malleable, and gentle – of the kind that can leave you with enough energy to turn them into something beautiful.

Here’s Part 1 of the Prologue of Into the Woods. Next: Once On This Island. :D Haha.

party! raffle prizes! salted eggs!

I still don’t know where the eggs came from.

eggs good for probably a year
eggs good for probably a year

Sir Chito (Libre Ed in Chief, party host): Maaari bang unahin na nating i-raffle ‘yung mga itlog na maalat? Para silang masamang panaginip. [Later] Wala nang itlog na maalat!

Inquirer Crowd: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! *dancing and revelry*

Much good that did for me, I still came home empty-handed. Oo, kahit itlog na maalat di ko pa napanalunan.

But at least I got this, a shot that had to be taken since Kate and Ruthie were all glammed up:

ohyeahohyeah
ohyeahohyeah

More pictures at my Multiply, including the make-up session with Armin. :)

(First photo from Irene’s cam. [Or Fran’s]. Thanks! I was so overwhelmed by the eggs I failed to take a picture of them.)

research: we real cool.

So cool we had our Christmas party at noon yesterday with no parlor games whatsoever. We’re still in the process of attaining the EPA party’s level of coolness (they had an Adverb Charade – try acting out “uneasily”, or, better yet, “surreptitiously”, or better better yet, “felicitously”), which in my humble opinion is just off the charts.

party! um. party?
party! um. party?

I left the party with a box of chocolates, two kilos of rice (don’t ask), and a bottle of peppermint shower gel courtesy of Ate Cy (she also took the above photo). I’ll upload my own pictures at my Multiply page. :D (EDIT: Uploaded!)

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Try typing Faceboook.com on your browser. (Grabe na lang ang mga discoveries ni Lawrence.) Don’t forget the extra ‘o’. Very, very clever. :)

Even in his free time Lawrence is productive. No, no complaint there, or sarcasm. One time when my hands were free and everyone else was busy churning out write-ups, I sent out Fucklings. (That sentence was poorly/perversely constructed.) (Hey, two more words for the Adverb Charade!)

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Merry Xmas, all. :)