Sunday, June 17, 2012

Best Dad! ♛


I rarely open up on things that are personal. This post is one something very personal that I’d share. As a blogger, I believe that at one time you have to share a part of you to the people that reads you. As they witness your happiness, they should at least have a glimpse of your vulnerable side.

It’s such a shame that I waited for father’s day and his birthday (last June 14) to write something for my first love:  My Dad. He was the best. We all say our own Dad’s are the best, and Daddy never failed to prove to me that he was the greatest.

Judging from all the great stories that I’ve heard, Daddy is loved and respected by a lot of people. Being a prosecutor, Fiscal Bernardo T. Simene did not make us feel that he was that authority at home. I could hardly remember him being angry. He was mostly the one to spoil. I remember vividly that as a child, every time I did something mischievous, mommy would attempt to spank me but daddy would open his arms and ask me to run to him and I’ll be saved.

He passed away when I was still in 5th grade. I was a Daddy’s girl so it was really hard. I had a lot of questions. I could not accept. It took me so long to understand. I graduated in high school thinking it would have been better if he was the one who wrote my speech. Sometimes when I do grocery alone and I see girls asking for their Dad to buy them something, I get jealous (emotera!). But those were only a few times. Mostly, I remember my Dad and it lights me up.  He is my happy thought. He inspires me. The great memories make me smile whenever I miss him.

One memory that I hold very dear are those moments that he lulls me to sleep. Being the youngest, I would not go to bed alone since my roomies Ate Nikki and Clint would bully me to tears (oh we were human versions of Tom and Jerry!). I would stay up late and watch my mom do her lesson plans for school. Then daddy had to carry me and sing to me ‘til I fall asleep. He would sing to me a song that goes “Oh, oh Bernardine…” and it always makes me feel special. It was always like that for years and my mom would say “nilapas na ka sa tuhod sa imong Daddy, bug-at na ka”. Hahaha! My sibling would tell me my face is turning into the shape of that old 2-peso coin because whenever my Dad asks me to comb his hair, I would ask for PHP2.00 in return. Darn! *hides face* Don’t judge me.

We had this family game every night after dinner. Mommy wants quiet time in the dining room while making her lesson plan, so the rest of the brady bunch would gang up outside in the terrace to do some “question-question” as what we call it. As a wide reader, Daddy would ask us trivia questions and me and my sibs would beat each other by answering first. I was always the loser. Hahaha!  Some one-liners that make us remember him are: “question-question”, “cover-cover”, “jumpshoti ko pa lagi ah”, etc.

Waaaay before “Troy” and “Robin Hood” became such hit movies, we already knew their story. Daddy was the best story teller. Other than the question-question nights, we would have storytelling as an alternative. I grew up hearing the names of Robin Hood, Surab and Rustom, Achilles, Paris and Hector. My favorite would be Ivanhoe. I read it recently and I see Dad written all over it upon reading through the names of Reginald Front-de bouf, Maurice DeBracy, Cedric, Rowena, Rebecca, Athelstane, Gurth and Wamba, King Richard The Black Knight, Locksley, Brian de Bois-Guilbert, etc. My sibs could relate to this. He would tell the stories to us with matching actions and sound effects. The trumpets proclaiming arrival of a knight and the sound of the knights’ horses being the prominent ones.

Aaaaaahhh, I miss him. I will always be your little girl. What I wrote in my FB wall, I meant every word.

| “Happy Father’s Daddy! Loving and missing you every day. The thought of you singing “Bernardine” to me is my calm in any storm”  |

This one’s for you…

i love this game.



 In time for the NBA finals.

I love basketball. Do you? Almost all of us do. But why?  There is a thousand and one reasons to love the game, what is yours? Here are mine.

(1)Family favorite. My dad plays basketball so it follows that my four brothers play the game as well. Their early morning games are part of our breakfasts. This is where dad’s favorite line “jumpshot-i ko pa lagi ah” became famous in the house. My brothers have played with each other and against each other. Often my dad would coach for them. My sisters and I would be by the bleachers cheering for them. My mom doesn’t want to see them get hurt, so she stays at home and just listens to our stories. They would go to neighboring barangays to play. They are adik like that.

(2)Competitive Spirit. High school intramurals and interschool competitions made us love basketball. During intramurals, it would always be the highlight. The trophies would sometimes be of the same size as the over-all champion’s trophy. It is the most-anticipated, the most-watched event. We cheer for our team with all our hearts. An interschool competition in our place is so intense that the cheers help a lot. We once had an opposing team that brought drums to the gymnasium, and we only had chants and screams on our side.

(3)By Force. It is easy to love basketball if you are rooting for the people you know. So for me, PBA and NBA was a tough one to even like. With the number of teams and players, it was hard to recognize the names to the faces. My love for it came in late. The men in the family influenced me. Not the inspiring-influence kind. My eldest sister works in Manila, the second attends college summer classes, so I am left with the boys. We only have 1 TV at home, so everytime there is a game it would always mean wrestling with the boys for the remote. 3 vs 1. So, yes! I had to watch with them. To irritate them, I would cheer on any team against them. I do evil laugh if I win and endure their teasing if I lost or watch Kuya do tumbling to celebrate a won in his team courtesy of a 3-pt shot in split seconds. After a game, they would discuss the hits and misses. There I learned triple-double, double-double, fastbreak, lay-up, assist, fade away, alley-op, best of three, twice to beat and all other terms. Then, eventually I started looking forward to playoffs and all-star games especially.

(4)Idols. Of course, we all loved his airness Michael Jordan. The legendaries: Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley. Chicago Bull’s Dennis Rodman and Tony Kukoc were unforgettable as well. Those were Betamax days. Hahaha! Fast forward. Kobe Bryant plays good but I don’t know why I never had a single nerve in my body like him. Dikembee Motumbo however has something that is loveable, humility maybe. T-Mac lovin’ started with that 1-on-1 slam dunk finale with Vince Carter. After that, I started rooting for Raptors, then Magic, then Rockets. Then, he faded with an injury. Then I turned to any team against Lakers. Celtics and now Oklahoma. I, however, want LeBron James to get his first ring because he deserves it. So, we’ll see!

And those are the reasons I love this game. What is yours?

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Of heels and wedges



Even before that “Call Me Maybe” video went viral; we have already planned a night out inspired by the Curt-Georg-Liz-Et al clique.  Working girls as we are, a gathering is not something we can just do in a snap. So after realizing that the plan is so long overdue, we finally found time and gave in to it. Since, we only get to discuss during breaks, the only info aside from the theme were:  (1) Venue – Army Navy IT Park; (2) GOOGLE your outfit and; (3) Friday night after branch meeting.

And so Friday came. After branch meeting, everybody scattered around to get dressed. I made a mood board for myself before the event to keep me inspired.  Now, to give credit to everyone’s preparation, I made mood boards based on what they wore that night. Round of applause for EFFORT please! 8D

The rundown begins.


Faye Lyn. F is for Fashion. Our resident Liz Uy.  Our photographer aka Marc Nicdao.



Rhea. That skirt could probably be the reason why she is extra feminine that night. ;p


Dr. Arvie. Excuse the peg but a timeless beauty can only be compared to another timeless beauty.




Reina. The everyday pink lips and being chinita is so Lizzie. By the way, this is also her despedida as she moves on from BMG. We will miss you! ‘Til the next night out

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Geli. Pretty in animal prints. Moowdel levels ang emote sa pictures. ;p



Wendy. Height + sky high heels = Tangkad Sagad! P.S Where is your Borgy?



Kym. The planner. Hi Bea Soriano! ;) Career change! Lighting, blocking..Robby Carmona, ikaw na! When and where next?



Joy. Best in Posing!!! Her favorite line “wa ko ka-prepare”. Really now? ;p



Abigail. Peg-breaker. The peg is Katarina/Ruffa Mae Quinto which is not in the circle. Hahaha!



Me.  I thought I might be underdressed as I heard them mention palazzo pants, mullet skirt, leather skirt, pang-shooting outfit, etc. Woah! So, I grabbed my pink heels to compensate.

  
Newlyweds Dicky and Lot weren’t able to have some solo shots. Lovebirds Toni and Grey also left early.


If you happen to remember the description of the Album in my Facebook page, it says “Overdressed for some LiberTEA and Freedom Fries”.  Yes, we were! Before we could even enter the shop, the glances made me want to sing with matching production number, Britney’s “All eyes on us in the center of the room just like a Circus” or the local “Lingon lahat! kapag kami ay dumaan!”. Hahaha! Ooowver! Well, the air and the feel of the place is not your typical shabby burger shop, it is modish. We fitted in. Who dresses up and wears heels just to grab a burger or burrito? We do!



The food is a bit pricey but worth it. The Freedom fries crunchy and spicy serving is a must. Grab one now!





After having our stomachs filled, we then headed to our mini photoshoot. This is where the solo shots above were taken.  Below are group shots, jump shots and behind-the-scene shots.



A short night, a little escapade. The chika, the pictures and the laughter that matters. Are you ready for the next theme?


Thank you so much for a night of fun, food, fashion and friends!








Super Week!


It took me almost a year to finally make this entry. I can’t quite pinpoint the main reason why. It could be the fact that it is hard to slim down and transcribe a whole week full of activities; or the fact that I am with two women who are the nitpicking kind. One wrong move and I might be advised to revise. Scaaary! Hahaha! Kidding! Put down your raising brows now, I know you know that it is just because I am the procrastinating kind. Guilty, your honor! Anyhow, here is the super [delayed] week post.

Our cousin Tessa (Ate Tessa to me, Atty. Tessa for you. Chos! :D) visited Cebu for a week-long seminar. For that duration, my sister Nikki also planned a daily activity.

DAY 1 – Café George Dinner
DAY 2 – 10 Dove Street Dinner
DAY 3 – Pino Dinner/ Blu Bar Cocktails
DAY 4 – Shangri La Resort



JURY:


TESSA. The visitor. Hard-to-impress Food and Potato Salad Expert.

Nikki. The organizer. Calamari Lover. Aspiring wedding planner.

Aden. The latecomer (explanation later).

VERDICT:
Best Potato Salad – Café Georg
Best Calamari – Café Georg
Best Ambiance – Blu Bar
Intimate Dinner Awardee – 10 Dove
Overall Winner – Shangri La Resort

Scroll down for details. 8D

Daytime is work and seminar for us – so for 3 days we only had dinner time to meet up. My daily work stint ends the latest. By the time I arrive to the venue, they are almost done with their food so I devour mine the primitive way. No chance to deliberate, therefore I leave it to them to critique everything. For Day 4 however, we had the whole day to enjoy the sights and sounds of Shang.


DAY 1. CAFÉ GEORG
If you are craving for great food, this is definitely the place to go. Delicioso from appetizers to desserts. My personal fave in the menu is their Beef Lasagna. Some people just visit to buy their banana cake. 

 Beef lasagna, Calamari and Tuna sandwhich.


DAY 2. 10 DOVE STREET
The restaurant is named after the street where it is located. A quaint little place that boasts of friendly-in-the-pocket yummy treats. At a set price, you will be asked to choose a soup, a salad, a sandwhich and a slice of cake. The place is ideal for intimate dinners because it can only accommodate around 15-20 guests at the same time. 



DAY 3. PINO / BLU BAR
We had buffet dinner at a Filipino restaurant, that is, Pino. According to my sister, Cebuano designer-to-the-stars Cary Santiago loves to dine in the place. They serve lechon by the way. Soooo, attack!!



After dinner, we went uphill to Marco Polo for their bar at the penthouse. It was my first time to experience Blu Bar so I was really amazed by the top view - overlooking the city lights. We can't tolerate alcohol so we settled for shakes and then coffee to cap the night.



DAY 4. SHANGRI LA RESORT
By now, you must have thought all we did was eat, eat and eat. Well, you are not mistaken. For the weekender, we went as far as Mactan to have lunch buffet. As it is pricey, we compensated by taking pictures in every corner of the place. Believe me when I say every corner. Hahaha

Arrival. Venue.

Chillin'.




Ocular visit?







What is the topic?!? ;p
Who's up for the challenge?
















Parting shot. Bus back to the city.

We met again that same week for Baby PJ's christening and then it was time for temporary goodbyes.

Now that my sister is faraway, I wonder when will something like this happen again? Well, 'til the next  super week folks.