The One with the Sparkles

I was supposed to write this blog last week when I bought the baubles I was supposed to wear on my wedding day. I bought this costume jewelry set which includes a necklace, bracelet and earrings. It set me back CI$54, roughly Php3,500. I don’t know whether it is made of crystal or cubic zirconia but I do know it’s rhodium plated. The design is almost the same as that of the one worn by the model and is supposed to match my gown, coz it has swarovski crystals in it. Anyway, it was really good and I was so excited coz it means I don’t have to spend so much time looking for jewelry when I go back to Manila or when we visit Hong Kong on our way back to Manila. Nor do I need to spend so much money having one custom made, which is just crazy, coz I’ll probably wear them about once every 3 years...

Then, Merv and I thought of driving along seven mile last Saturday. We had an ice cream in Hagen Daaz (belgian chocolate, my favourite!) and went to the Kirk Duty Free store to window shop. I found out that they now have swarovski jewelry on display. They used to have only figurines and brooches there but the lady informed me that they have just added the jewelry line the day before. Great!

So, I zipped through their display, which is not a lot actually, and found 2 necklaces which I liked. But they don’t carry jewelry sets just yet. The lady told me that they will be increasing their stocks the closer they get to the holidays. Hmmm.. should I be getting one of those or what?

When we got home, I searched the net for swarovski designs and found their official website. Hmm.. the price in the US was actually more expensive than the price here. The US$35 earrings I saw in the store was US$40 in the net. And I thought everything in the island was more expensive and prices were usually jacked up because of shipping and all.

I wanted the swarovski but I already had a set which is perfectly fine. But, since I’m a spoiled brat, I will buy the swarovski.. maybe next month when they have a few more designs in stock. Anyway, it is me spoiling myself and not other people, which means I only have myself to blame. Hahaha. The first set that I bought will be a gift for somebody special who will also be attending my wedding. There, does that justify my buying another set?

The One with the Christmas Theme

One fine (but slow) day, I was browsing through http://www.kasal.com/ looking for ideas for our wedding, I came across this article re: Christmas theme weddings. Since our wedding will be held on December 17, which is just a week before christmas, I thought that it will be most appropriate to have a christmas theme. It’s a good thing we have chosen a green and gold (not just green but pistachio green!) motiff, it will blend perfectly with the colours of a glittery christmas.

So I was reading-reading-reading when I came to the part where it was suggested to have a christmas tree in the reception. Well, that’s one good idea. Since we will be having our reception in a garden, a tree will not look out of place, and since it’s christmas, a christmas tree will just be the thing.

I thought that on top of the usual christmas balls, we should our pictures as trimmings in the tree. That will give it a more personal touch. Hmmm.. nice one kasal.com. I just need to summon the craftsy persona in me.

I also remembered one of the articles that I’ve read before that instead of getting baskets for the flower girls, why not let them carry parol instead? I thought that would be cute.. now.. how can I put flowers on those things so that people will not call the girls parol girls (parang bagong labas na preso ang dating).

One last thing, I have to talk to our caterer and the flowers supplier about the centerpieces and flowers that they’ll be using for our wedding. Poinsettias, mistletoes and christmas wreaths with candles as centerpieces will fit the theme nicely.

Wow! It’s beginning to feel like christmas. I wonder if it’s too late to squeeze in puto bungbong, bibingka and salamat in the menu..

The One Where All the Love Story Began

This is my first blog, so bear with me.. Feel ko gumagawa ako ng diary, or at least travel documentary.

It all started in SGV.. the leading accounting firm in the Philippines! Merv and I started working as (lowly paid) junior auditors. We were hired in September 1999. To prove na lowly yan, we were receiving Php6,500 per month (before taxes), tapos nung after 6 months, we received a permanency increase of Php350 per month. The pay increase came in about the same time na tumaas ang pamasahe, so parang inflationary increase ang dating. This has been one of the topics that my friends laugh at everytime we reminisce our SGV experience.

Merv grew up in Oriental Mindoro and attended school there until High School while I grew up in Manila and attended UST from primary to college. Merv attended San Beda College. Of course, both of us took Accountancy course.

So, yun nga, we graduated from our respective schools, attended the same review school in Espana (though I did not get the chance to meet him there despite of the fact na ang san beda graduates are one of the loudest in the review school, from what I see/heard), passed the board and joined SGV.

He started courting me, can’t remember when.. haaha. I just realized na sinasabayan na nya ko pumasok sa office. We rode the same “colorum” FX sa Fajardo on the way to office and back home. And when I’m doing overtime (which is often), he usually stays late and wait for me and would take me home. We usually eat lunch together, pero with a group. Sinagot ko sya in January (31?) 2000. And nga pala, we were in the same group of friends sa office, mainly because we were in a batch nung pumasok sa SGV, so parang classmates lang ang dating.

Alright, after almost 3 years of steady relationship, the OFW life began. Merv left SGV (and Philippines) and worked as an internal auditor in a bank in Saudi. He went there sometime August 2003. Life in SGV suddenly became dull. Though, I had more time with my girrrrlfriends. Hehehe

In June 2004, I left for Singapore and worked in another accounting firm, KPMG. We had different experiences coz in Saudi, it was a bit laid back when it comes to work. Sa Singapore kase parang hard worker ang dating. Super harrassed sa work, but that’s what OFW life is usually about. Merv got busy playing tennis and bowling (and got good at it!), while I got busy shopping (I consider myself good already, kahit nung asa Pinas pa ko). Aaa, and I also lost weight there, because of the daily 30 minutes walk to the trains, plus the pressure.. hahaha.

While working in Saudi, Merv made it a point to go home for holidays every six months or so. I schedule my holidays the same period as his (or parang ini-schedule nya yata na sabay saken kase mas madali para sa kanya mag file ng leave). So, we still get to see each other every six months or so. We also use this time to take a quick holiday, for his first trip back to Manila from Saudi, we went to Bohol and Cebu. I guess we love to travel. Back when our salaries were still Php6,500, we actually went to Boracay with our group of friends. That entailed a lot of cost cutting and taking the super ferry instead of PAL. We also went to Puerto Galera, Laguna, Bulacan, together with our friends. Those were fun times. Then when he first visited me in Singapore, we went touring the city nation and went to Sentosa for a day. Too bad we did not get to go to other parts in Asia, kase Singapore is such a good starting point for travel (me budget airline kase sila).

Come 2005, we made plans to work in the same country. We had interviews in Bermuda, US and Cayman Islands. Bermuda didn’t work out, US was too complicated (with the visas, taxes and whatzis) and Cayman Islands just fitted us perfectly (nice little tax free island getaway). One of our SGV friends recommended us in Cayman and we were both able to snatch jobs easily. Hehehehe.

From Saudi and Singapore, we went back to Manila during the last week of June 2005 to arrange requirements from POEA and visa processing, as well as to get a quick holiday. While in the Philippines, he proposed to me, we were in Boracay then, and of course I said yes!

Wedding preps started shortly after that. Mega research sa internet about wedding suppliers and all. We resigned from our respective jobs and went back to Manila by first week of December 2005.

We left for Cayman Islands last week of December and we spent the New Year there. It was our first new year outside Philippines but the first new year we celebrated together (kase we celebrate holidays with our own families back in the Philippines).

So, we’re here for more than 8 months now, and we’re going home in a little over 2 months. Our SGV friends (5 of them moved here in Cayman Islands as well) and some other Pinoys we met here in the office went to Cuba last weekend for a short trip. It was a good experience and makes me want to visit the European countries soon. Ay pumunta din pala kame sa Jamaica last July, again for a quick holiday (and apply US visa). But, since we’re getting married in December nga, kelangan ipunin ang leave (and mag ipon) so, tipid muna. Although, we’re planning to drop by London on our way back to Pinas this December.