Christmas Eve Baby

Everyone, please welcome the newest member of the family, Baby A --- first baby of my sister T and BIL JC! She's adorable, isn't she? We gladly spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at the Asian Hospital to welcome her:-) We love you Baby A!

December 2009

This month was most eventful, and very busy. I'll try to squeeze in everything here. As most of you know, our Globe internet service has been down for three weeks now. It is only now that I finally gave up and got us a Smart Bro prepaid kit. So here I am . However , I just realized that because I was so busy and distracted, I always forgot to bring the camera to some events. But I will share the few pictures I have, and probably borrow from my brother N's Facebook album.



1. Just ended my 18th term of teaching! If I have an average of 30 students per term, that would mean I've taught 540 students...

2. Started a business with some of my closest friends. It is a deli/cafe that we intend to put up in one of the malls. This Christmas season, we decided to participate in a toys and gifts fair. It was a great learning experience for all of us.

3. E and I celebrated our 13th year of marriage. We didn't get to celebrate in a big way because we were busy with the business, but we enjoyed our "staycation". We decided to stay in Manila this time instead of traveling, and we're so glad we did. Iba pa rin ang pasko at bagong taon dito:-)



4. High School Barkada LCN from San Francisco was home for the holidays and so the barkada got together for dinner at Recipes in Trinoma. Sorry, no camera that night.



5. College Barkada RJW from Hong Kong was home for the holidays. The Christmas get-together was held at the Z home. Again, sorry no camera that night.


6. High School good friend HF from Los Angeles was also home for the holidays. A few of us from high school got together at Freska at the Promenade in Greenhills. It was my first time there and pleased to learn that oysters are cheap there, and good.



6. Christmas Eve at my Parents'


We were joined by SIL's parents and sister

5. New Year's Eve at Pacific Plaza -- BIL's friends from New York who are now based in Manila went home to New York for the holidays and lent us their condo. Such good, good friends! WE ordered food from Casa Armas:

The Cuchinillo!
Paella Negra


Paella Valenciana



Lengua Estofado prepared by my Mom's cook




6. Our belated Anniversary celebration right on New Year's Day at John and Yoko in Greenbelt 5



Some shopping notes: Tory Burch's prices here in Manila are a bit cheaper than in the US if you use the Rustan's discount card, so don't bother buying from the US. However the Manila branch only carries 1 pair of shoes per size per model. If you're seriously thinking of buying one, buy na, now na!

Pasko Na Nga!

Starting yesterday, my days will be filled with Christmas parties and other social events. Yesterday, I had a Christmas lunch with DP, a good friend who is based in Hongkong and another friend GD, at Cafe Metro in Shangri-la Plaza and TWO Christmas parties in the evening. Today, the school had its party for the Faculty and Staff. Tomorrow is our department Christmas party. Saturday is the Christmas outreach of the company's senior executives and brunch after that , and a Christmas party hosted by E's friend BT in the afternoon. I'm hoping for an anniversary dinner with family, but we'll see how the schedule is like. On Sunday, Christmas lunch with my college barkada and Christmas dinner with E's barkada, both to be held in our home. On Monday is the Farewell party of our CFO of which I am the event coordinator. I still have so many things pending like songs to be used for the video presentation,songs to be sung by guest singers, the backdrop of the stage, finalizing the speakers, etc. The only thing I have done is the food arrangements. Tuesday is the Christmas party for senior executives, where I will be in the dance presentation. And lastly, on Wednesday, the 24th, the Christmas party in our office. Pasko na, and really, no time to shop. I can actually just give IOUs and say that their presents will be New Year presents from the US:)

'Tis the Season...

I know that we are already in the middle of the Christmas season when my day started with a gift-giving activity for pre-schoolers at a Gawad Kalinga site in Trece Martires and ended with a classy party hosted by an international bank at the Manila Polo Club:) I'm really so fortunate to experience the best of both worlds.