Category: friends

updates galore

Life updates! Work updates! Bookswap updates!

Bookswap on April 14, where we met Kat’s friend Aych for the first time. I love doing this meetups with the girls (and occasional boy). Book nerds! Love it.

Kim and Almi weren’t present because they were celebrating their monthsary. Next time!

On April 18, J’s sister V gave birth to the cutest baby boy.

Proud uncle.

I realized then that it has been years since I last touched a baby. They’re so soft! (And so small!)

I told myself that I won’t blog about work, but this isn’t really work. The Marketing department had a team building activity at Stilts in Calatagan, Batangas on April 20 to 21. Not my first time here, but my first time to stay overnight. I’d like to go back sometime for an overnight trip with the family, or just with J.

I had fun, despite being generally cynical toward any kind of team activity.

Feeling at home.

First time to see Stilts at night...
...and in the early morning.
Office mates enjoying a quick dip.
Just look at the water! Beautiful.

We had a stopover in Tagaytay. Lunch at Dencio’s and we bought pasalubong from Amira’s and Rowena’s. J enjoyed some eclairs and ube tarts when I got home.

puerto del sol

Bolinao, Pangasinan for Maundy Thursday! We went to Puerto del Sol Beach Resort, which seemed to be located on the very edge of the Earth. To quote Almi, we were on the road for 15 hours, and at the beach for six. Crazy! It’d be nice to go on an overnight trip and avail their promo.

On the way to Bolinao.

Despite the long ride, the poor service at the resort’s restaurant, and the fact that our driver didn’t seem to have a sense of direction, the trip was worth it.

Just look at that.

Continue reading puerto del sol

February! How did that happen?

Anyway end-January we went to Vikings at Mall of Asia  for J’s sister’s birthday. Highly recommended. They have a wonderful spread.

Thanks for the treat, J and family!

On Feb.2, breakfast at Pancake House! We haven’t done this in a while.

Breakfast makes me happpyyy.

Coffee, cheese pancakes, and a Pinoy-style breakfast meal. The best.

Went clothes shopping and was horrified to find out that most slacks either 1) didn’t fit me or 2) didn’t fit me well. Who likes slacks? Tell me. I’ll stick with leggings and dresses if you don’t mind, corporate world.

PDI Research! It’s Almi’s pizza party. She asked us to wear something pink and bring a DIY crown, and me of the artistic persuasion took a crystal headband and wrapped it with a pink ribbon.

You can’t see it clearly here but Lawrence was wearing a Chief Justice Corona crown. Corona = corona = crown. And someone’s wearing a Loren Legarda calendar.

We’re ah tickled pink. Haha! Thanks for the pizza Ate Almi! :D

 

Happy for the positive reviews Alternative Alamat is getting. We’re at #14 today on the Amazon Kindle Fantasy Anthology list!

Some reviews:

Deck Shoes (Catherine Batac Walder)

Kristine Ong Muslim on Goodreads

Bookish Little Me

One More Page

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It’s been a bit quiet here, huh.

Some highlights from the past week.

A (Board)Game of Thrones!

I have played this before but this is the new version. Thanks to Phil for hosting the game (and taking these pictures). We played two rounds. I was controlling the Lannisters in the first round (where the Tyrells won), and the Baratheons in the second (where the Greyjoys won).

The second round took forever, haha. Jaykie, who was controlling the Lannisters, almost conceded after losing so many troops. But I’m glad he didn’t because it was such a hilarious comeback No, actually, I wasn’t glad because if he had conceded I would have moved my troops and won two castles easy but anyway.

This goddamn Lannister ship

went to the Baratheon side on a whim and singlehandedly (well, with the help of the Tyrell ships) sank the Stark fleets and cut off Dragonstone from the rest of the continent.

It has to be the most entertaining gameplay I have ever seen that night. “For Lannisport!”

Thanks guys.

(This section should have a WARNING: GEEKERY tag.)

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Swensen’s last night, with the boyfriend, his sister, brother-in-law, and nephew. My happy place.

 

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?

hear ye, hear ye

Late post! But I’m sure you know by now that

The day has come!

“Alternative Alamat“, our digital anthology of stories inspired by Philippine mythology, is now available for US$4.99 at the following fine establishments:

  • Amazon.com – US$4.99 (note there’s an extra US$2.00 charge for certain non-US territories/accounts, including, unfortunately, the Philippines)
  • Flipreads.com (epub file) – PHP235.00
  • [iTunes and Barnes & Noble/Nook editions to follow]

I hope that by now you’re all excited to get your hands on the book (or, rather, the hardware holding the file), and if so, thank you and what are you waiting for? If you’re still on the fence even after the preview of our contributor and story introductions, and our author interviews (Raissa, Mo, Eliza), then read on (or download the press release here)!

You heard the boss. Click here to see a glimpse of some of the non-fiction segments of the book, as well as the wonderful artwork of Mervin Malonzo, creator of “Tabi Po”.

What’s been happening? My maternal grandmother’s birthday on the 8th, my paternal grandmother’s birthday on the 11th. That was epic, because it was Lola’s 90th birthday (90th birthday!) and they had a reunion party with games and raffles and all. I brought Jaykie but knew and was able to introduce only at most five percent of my relatives there. (Fail!) It was nice to see the boyfriend mingling with family. Even family I didn’t know, haha.

On the 9th I visited the old office to see my friends.

Company Christmas party on the 14th. Theme was Famous Couples and I came in as Veronica with another officemate as Betty. But I don’t think anyone really understood I was supposed to be Veronica. At least Betty had a blonde wig.

Didn’t win anything at the raffle, as per usual. (One of the new girls won an iPad! Why can’t I be that lucky?)

Really looking forward to the holiday vacation so I can write, write, write, read, read, read.

inuman at marikina riverbanks

Sept. 17th, Christian’s birthday, and off we went to Marikina, to the Riverbank Grille, for crispy pata and beer and possible heart complications. It happened to be SM Marikina’s 3-Day Sale so Marcos Highway felt more like the  Marcos Parking Lot for a while. J and I got there just in time for dinner. I really loved the crispy pata.

Happy birthday, Christian!

Thanks to Tope (who is not in any of these pictures) for the pictures!