GOOD GOD! =D / APRIL 10,2007

I thought it’s about time I did a series on my adoptive province—since we end up spending practically every long holiday there. This post appeared originally in my friendster blogsite. Minor changes, mostly only on the names of the characters, from the original. =) In any case, I thought I’d repost it as the first in the series in honor of our slightly more successful “return trek” (haha) sometime between Christmas '07 and New Year '08, this time with Cousin Dooders (who was home for the holidays) and his Special Girl MJ. (Kahiya-hiya when our guide's face lit up in recognition after he saw me, "Ikaw yung nung summer! Uy, natakot ako sa'yo nun..." HAHAHA!!! 'D Waaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!) What happened? Read on…. =)

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Marooned in Marinduque over Holy Week, Hubby Sweet and I decided Friday evening to get our butts off the couch and explore the parts of the island I haven't seen yet. It was going to be Black Saturday the following day and even the Moriones activities tend to lay low then. Patay daw kasi ang Diyos sabi ng mga nakatatanda.

Hubby Sweet offered to take me on the "Round-Marinduque" tour, but I knew exactly what I wanted to do: I was adamant about conquering the Bathala Caves in Santa Cruz.

The following day saw the Hubby waking up before 6:00 a.m. to try and sneak in an early-morning tennis match in Mogpog. "I'll be back by 8:30, Tweet. Promise!" He kissed me goodbye as I lay in bed, still half-asleep. He was out the door before I could protest.

Left alone, I stayed where I was for a few more minutes, taking advantage of the unhurried morning pace. Lazy mornings are unheard of in Manila. In Manila, even our weekends are packed with chores--early morning run / brisk walking at the Ultra, breakfast usually in Ateneo, weekend house cleaning, all before packing our bags for the usual overnight stay in House Better. Not so in the province. In the province, lazy mornings are allowed. I stayed in bed for a few more minutes, staring at the lace curtains stirring lightly in the morning breeze, my mind blank.

Soon enough, the house slowly came alive. People stirred. I heard Stu, the resident pet beagle, climb up the stairs. He soon started nudging the bedroom doors, scratching and moaning in frustration. I think he made it his life's mission to wake people up as soon as he sensed daylight. Despite the papers that prove his purebred lineage, I honestly think he's part beagle and part rooster.

It was time to get up.

I went down the steps to find Mama Yemy (Kiko's paternal grandmother), Mama E (his mom) and Lorns (their helper) already busy in the kitchen. Mama Yemy had just come back from her regular early-morning trips to the palengke and was busy inspecting her loot of fresh veggies and meat, enough to cover the day's meals. 'Told them there was no need to prepare lunch for that day. Hubby Sweet and I are going to Bathala Cave. AA and Ira (The Hubby's cousins) plus their gang will be skipping Boac; I think they plan to spend the entire day at the beach in Poktoy instead.

That lone comment triggered another flurry of activity with everyone shifting from meal-preparation-mode to meal-packing-mode. I sipped my morning coffee wearing a half-smile. "OK lang po, Mama. Relax. Ako na lang magpa-pack," I volunteered in an effort to ease the frenzy I seem to have instigated.

"May lechon paksiw pa dyan. Yun na lang a-baunin niyo?" Mama E offered.

“Ay, magdala kayo ng suman! Chaka bibingka!" Mama Yemy suggested at about the same time.
“Lorns, magsaing na lang ng bago," Mama E said before turning back to me, "Yung bago na lang a-dalin niyo. I-fried rice na lang namin yung natira kag-abi."

"Ay, Lorns, may yelo pa ba? Kuha na kina Noemi," Mama Remy ordered at about the same time before turning back to me, "A-lagay niyo na lang sa thermos para malamig."

I looked to the side to find Lorns shaking her head and chuckling uncontrollably at the commotion I had caused.

The lechon paksiw, rice, suman and ham sandwiches (!) soon made their way into the portable ice chest. The thermos was soon filled with ice to the brim (it will melt anyway) and placed on top of the ice chest. After all the flurry, the only thing left to do was to wait for the Hubby to get home. It was way past 8:30. Hmp.

He finally came barrelling through the door at half past nine, apologizing profusely. (He knows how anal I can be about punctuality.) After a quick breakfast and a quick shower, we were off to conquer the caves!

The Bathala Caves sit on 19 hectares of private land owned by the Mendozas. (I really don't know who they are, but that's what our guide told us, haha.) It is a system of seven (some say, eight) major caves with countless "minor caves" yet to be explored. It was more than an hour's drive from Boac (the provincial capital) without traffic (!) and even Hubby Sweet who grew up in Marinduque had to stop every so often to make sure we were going the right way. It had been a while since we went on a road trip by ourselves, and this was a welcome break.

"Tweet, let's just go to one or two caves lang, then let's go around Marinduque na," Hubby S suggested.

"No! There are seven caves," I protested, "I want to go to all seven!" getting more excited by the minute at the thought of this exciting new adventure. I haven't gone wall-climbing in a while, and I was pretty psyched up about the possibility of having another go at it. Woohoo!!!
After several starts and stops, asking for directions, making sure we were on the right off-road track, we finally got to a small clearing slightly off the off-road (haha). There were several SUV's parked in the vacant lot.

"Tourists," I thought. There was a makeshift nipa hut selling water, chips, etc. Manang pointed us to a small "gate" and told us to walk along the beaten path. It will take us to the entry point of Bathala.

The Bathala Caves of Santa Cruz supposedly has a rich religious / cult history. I read somewhere that it was said to have been the refuge of the Pulahanes, a fanatical group who believed their amulets could protect them from the bullets of their declared enemies, the American colonizers. They stayed in the caves to pay homage to their "Supreme God" in the belief that doing so would help them regain the potency of their amulets. In the early 1900's, members of the "Samahang Persona Solo Dios", a group originally formed in the mountains of Banahaw in Quezon, found refuge within its confines, believing that Mount Banahaw and the Bathala Caves are spiritually connected.

On this particular Holy Saturday decades and centuries hence, however, the Bathala Caves were home only to a handful of tourists, most stylishly clad, backpacks in tow. It was almost noon by the time we got there, but both being relatively full, we decided to just have lunch after we got down from the mountain.

After registering at the makeshift nipa hut decorated by a lone banner that read "SPELUNKING 2007, Bathala Caves, Santa Cruz, Marinduque" (looking at the pic now, mali pa pala tanda ko, haha! 'D). After paying the P280 entrance fee (P140 per person), Kiko and I were off to the first of the caves, led by our guide.

The Cathedral or the Church cave (ang Kuweba ng Simbahan) is the biggest. It was supposedly the central place of worship and the primary dwelling place of its early inhabitants. It would be an understatement to say that it was HUGE. Standing in the middle eeriely felt like standing within the dome of Saint Peter's Basilica (the dome lang ha, not the entire basilica!). Our guide directed his flashlight to several rock formations that the cultists believed to have been engraved in the cave by nature, the hand of God. At the main entrance was the face of God the Father and of The Son. On the ceiling was the Holy Spirit, represented by the figure of a dove with spread wings. There were also references to Mary, a church bell, and a huge stalagmite that was supposedly The Altar.

The Cathedral is easy enough to get to. Most tourists, I've been told, actually just go to the Cathedral and move on to other tourist spots in Marinduque. Only the "serious" adventurers move on to the other caves.

Understandable, I suppose. To get to the other caves, one has to climb up the rock formations on one side of the Simbahan and crawl through a hole to get to another clearing that will lead to two other caves, the Python Cave and the Cemetery Cave. Most families (especially those with young kids and older people in tow) would see it and decide that seeing the Church cave is enough. The younger, more determined set would look at the rock formations and smile.

I, personally, couldn't stop grinning.

With a burst of energy, I climbed up the wall and crawled excitedly through the hole. "Woohoo!" I thought, "WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!" I was screaming myself silly inside my head, giddy at the chance to climb walls again. I haven't done so in the past two--almost three--years! Hubby Sweet is more into tennis; he tried climbing with me once and found that it wasn't his cup of tea. All my other friends whom I used to climb with have also gotten married and have set aside the weekly wall-climbing activities in favor of their more urgent domestic requirements. Climbing the walls of the Simbahan--which was a relatively easy wall when you think about it--gave me a rush that, I realized only then I really, really, REALLY (!!!) missed!

Our guide was waiting for us outside. "This path leads to the Python Cave and the Cemetery Caves..." he explained.

The Python Cave only has one entrance and is guarded (to this day!) by 11 pythons, widely believed to be the pets of Bathala. Countless snakes supposedly also occupy the upper portions of the cave. I cringed at the thought of encountering these slithering, hissing creatures. If there is one stupid animal on this earth that I cannot take, it is the snake, regardless of length, width, color. Ack!

"Not to worry," our guide explained, "The pythons of Bathala are harmless. They have never been known to attack anybody."

"Yeah, well, there's always a first time," I thought.

"Besides," he continued, "sa dami ng tourists during Holy Week, they usually go into hiding. Ayaw nila ng maraming tao. Come back during the off-season if you want to see them."

Uh....sure.....

We found ourselves stopping mid-trek to give way to another group climbing their way out of the Python Cave. Instead of waiting for our turn to enter the Python Cave, our guide decided to climb up, instead, to the Cemetery Cave, believed to be the ancient burial site because of the human skeletons that were supposedly previously found by German spelunkers. The trek up was particularly steep. I was practically crawling, legs on footholds, hands grasping at tree trunks to keep myself steady. The noonday summer sun beat heavily down my back, sweat dripping, my shirt starting to soak. It was then that disaster struck. I all of a sudden realized that I was tired. I was very, very, very tired. No. I was very, very, very, VERY (!) dead-tired.

Breathing heavily, I barely made it to the flat ledge at the mouth of the cave. I sat on it and leaned against a tree stump, trying to control my breathing in an effort to slow down my racing heartbeat. Darn! I cursed myself for being so out of shape, I couldn't even navigate a climb that I would have completed without batting a eyelash two years ago! Augh, augh, augh! I signalled for our guide and the Hubby to continue their trek down to the Cemetery Cave. I would stay on the stone ledge until my breathing normalized. Hubby Sweet refused to leave me. For a good half-hour, all three of us just stayed were we were--on the side of the mountain, saying hi to all the other groups who passed by.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

Soon, even the Hubby sensed that I was breathing normally already. I made the decision not to go down to the cave anymore. "You go, Sweet," I told him, "I'll stay right here and rest."
He didn't stay long inside the cave. Heck, he was actually there only because I insisted we go! He probably took one look around, said "OK, cemetery cave," and went back up. Hahaha! After making sure that I have rested enough and that I was at least ready to manage it, we all started our trek down. Along the way, we passed by the trail that leads to the Python Cave. Heck, it was on the way down anyway, 'might as well go! Besides, I reasoned with myself and with the Hubby, I think it was the heat and not necessarily the steep climb that got to me. The Python Cave was in a relatively shaded area of the cave. It shouldn't be that bad. Reluctantly, Hubby Sweet agreed to take the side trip.

The climb down Python Cave was a bit better. The shade and the canopy of trees made the noonday heat a bit cooler, the air even a bit damp.

"This is the mouth of the cave," our guide gestured, as I started taking pictures.

"What's down there?" I gestured toward the deep abyss, not even attempting to look down lest I fall. (I was admittedly still a bit light-headed from the Cemetery Cave episode.)

"Well...that is the cave....Would you like to go down?" he asked.

Hubby Sweet put his foot down and said no, probably thinking I was in another one of my bullheaded moods. I did not protest. I was going to say no anyway. Despite my stubbornness, I actually know when to quit. While I realized I had the energy to climb down, I was not entirely sure I would have the energy to climb back up in lightning speed in case some stupid python decided to have me for lunch. Hahaha! The rest of the caves would just have to wait another day.

We trekked down the mountain, my ego bruised but my spirit renewed.

"Mag-e-exercise lang ako, babalik ako dito!" I told our guide.

He laughed, "Oo ba! Come back anytime."

Yes. You can be damn sure, I will!

=P

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To get to Marinduque, drive to SM Lucena, look for directions to the Dalahican Port and ride the roro from there. There are so many beautiful eco-tourism spots on the island, it is really a shame that tourists only go there for the Moriones Festival. Aside from The Bathala Caves, I heard the Paadjao Falls are worth seeing--and swimming in! (I haven't seen it yet, but I intend to take a dip the next time we go.) They also have their own version of the hot springs in Malbog, as well as a million and one (OK, I exaggerate) butterfly farms in Gasan. If you're tired of the crowds in Boracay, go island hopping in Tres Reyes and Natangco Island instead. They're beautiful (the white sand in Natangco, in my opinion, is comparable to that in Bora), but they're much quieter and yes, so much better for the soul. =)

P.S. - Yes, this makeshift basketball court with a cow parked next to it is almost right outside the Bathala Cave compound. I love this pic! Isn't it so charmingly provincial? =)

One More P.S. - Yes, we hiked in our flip-flops! Santa Barbara. Hahaha! While I found it convenient (since I could easily take off my slippers whenever I need to go through "small holds"), I doubt it is really how things should be. *Sheepish grin...=D* Ask your friendly mountaineer what the proper attire should be before you go up. Oh! Yes. ALWAYS bring a small water bottle! =D

NO DAY BUT TODAY!

Although Seasons of Love may undeniably be the most popular song from the musical, Rent!, "Another Day / No Day But Today" will always be my favorite sequence.

The other day, a friend of mine was lamenting about the end of a long-running relationship, the impossibility of rekindling it, and the realization that The-Other-Person is now happy with someone else. In between my friend's sniffles, we hilariously tried to assign a theme song to this particular episode. I said, we should play "Defying Gravity" (having been on Wicked track lately) to define this particular chapter: "And if I'm flying solo, at least I'm flying free...," I sang laughing. We ended up guffawing when he countered, dead-pan, "Maybe I should start singing, 'I'm Not that Girl' instead." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! 'D

Still, through the brave front being put up over the phone line, I can sense the deep sadness and the deep sense of loss.

I told him, maybe we should assign a song from Rent! instead. He was not familiar with any of the songs, except for Seasons of Love (of course, hehe). I told him there was a particular song there that got me through MY dark episode.

To those not familiar with the play, Roger is a character who lost his long-time girlfriend April to AIDS. He's obviously hurting. He's actually the living version of dead.

Mimi is a stripper in the local nightclub. Not exactly living under the best of circumstances, she nonetheless refuses to let the dire straits of life get to her. Her (and their friends') stirring serenade to Roger defines the basic theme of the entire musical. There is no future. There is no past. There's no day but today. Presumably, therefore, one has to make it count.

I'm posting this blog to celebrate the countless "Mimis" in my life-- family and friends (male and female alike) who tirelessly coaxed me out of hiding, forcing me to go out, the entire time singing their own version of "No Day But Today" to "My-Then-Version-of-Roger". I thank them for singing to me over and over and over, in one form or another, until I found the strength to eventually sing the song with them AND to actually believe its message to be true. I thank them because they were instrumental in thawing out my frozen heart, enough to allow it to burn when I finally met the Hubby. =) Sorry, was that too sappy? Haha. It may very well be, but it's true. =D)

I'm also posting this blog as a shout-out to my friend whom I actually consider one of my "countless Mimis". May you come out of your "Roger" period with a stronger belief that, despite the current circumstances, the best is yet to come. You only need to force yourself (if need be) to open up to the infinite possibilities that every single day brings.

My turn now to play the song for you. =)

MY DAY!!! =) / JANUARY 6,2008

Birthdays have always been considered a big deal at my parents' house. Growing up, Mother made sure that everyone understood that if it is someone’s birthday, it is HIS or HER day. There will be no other diva on that day; the celebrant has exclusive rights. Hahaha.

If one’s birthday falls on a weekday, it means everyone would have to wake up extra-early (like 5:00 a.m.!) so people can have enough time to enjoy a special breakfast (complete with the opening-of-gifts-ceremony!) before everyone rushes off to start their day. Everyone, that is, except Father who would typically go back to sleep, not used to waking up before 7:00 a.m. Haha!

If one’s birthday falls on a weekend, it means everybody is mandated to wake up as soon as the birthday celebrant does. If the birthday celebrant decides to sleep in, Mother makes sure nobody eats before the celebrant comes down for breakfast. That said, everybody either suffers in silence, their tummies grumbling until Mr. or Ms. Special Day decides to roll-out of bed OR everybody creates the biggest ruckus in the world to force the celebrant to wake up. This, however, is usually disguised in the form of a “greeting” with everyone barreling through the bedroom door, shouting at the top of their lungs, “HAAAAAAAPPPPPPPYYYYYYYY BIRTHDAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!! WAAAAAAAAKKKKKE UUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!” HAHAHA! ‘D



Truth be told, such extreme measures are usually employed only on Father, haha, as all of us kids have been trained by Mother to wake up early during weekdays and by the Saturday Fun Machine during weekends. Haha! =)

I remember getting all excited every time my birthday rolled along. I know I would wake up to the smell of breakfast cooking (as my bedroom window sits right across the dirty kitchen). I know I would have my favorite breakfast laid on the table, and I know I would have ice-cold peaches for dessert. (Yes, in House Better, peaches for dessert is a clear signal that something special is happening that day! Haha. =)) I also know I would tiptoe down to find boxes and boxes of beautifully-wrapped gifts set next to my breakfast plate. There are very few things in life that can brighten up my early morning as much as a mountain of gifts meant only for me. =) Yey!

My birthday this year fell on a Sunday. Sunday, being the typical clan lunch-day on Father’s side, I decided to celebrate my birthday at Eduardo’s (the ancestral home named after my lolo =)). I had volunteered to bring in Thai Food—straight from Som’s (as I cannot cook decently enough to save my life, haha). Panety (our tita) would hear none of it! She had already planned the menu for the day. I can bring the lechon that I volunteered to bring, and she will take care of the rest. The rest, I found out much later, involved Pasta (Yum!), Paella (Yum, yum!) steamed sea bass (Yum! Yum! Yum!) and baked oysters! (Heaven!!!). YUM! ^_^ With all the plans in place and the errands that needed to be run, however, I decided to break tradition and not go home to House Better this year. I texted Mother and Father, I would just meet up with them at Eduardo’s. I rationalized that Hubby Sweet and I would just have to manage to create a birthday celebration/tradition on our own. =)

The eve went by uneventful enough. As it has been since the time I met Hubby Sweet, I would inevitably get a greeting in one form or another at the stroke of midnight. Being married has not changed that, except that this time, my half-asleep husband roused himself as best he could, hugged me tight, planted a kiss and mumbled a barely audible and very slurry, “Haberdaytweet,” before almost instantly snoring himself back to oblivion. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! ‘D Not that I minded. I was actually sleeping myself, and was only briefly roused by this midnight mini-commotion. Man! We are sooooooooo married. Haha! ‘D

In any case, the day itself started pretty uneventfully. “Good morning, Tweet,” Hubby Sweet whispered, “Happy Birthday…” With one blurry eye opened, I whispered back, “Thanks, Sweetie…Can we eat out for breakfast?” HAHA! ‘D
And so it goes that we found ourselves @ Gram's Diner in Rockwell which is like 10 minutes from our place on any given Sunday.

I thought it was my birthday so I decided to have something I normally wouldn't have at home. Steak and eggs it is, then! With coffee, of course. =) Hubby Sweet opted for the corned beef with hot choco. =) I've been to Gram's several times before (back in its old location though). It was your comfort-food-kind-of-diner.

The food was not bad, but it was nothing spectacular. Well, except for the corned beef which was apparently sooooo good, Hubby Sweet just had to ask the waiter what brand it was. =) Oh, and the hot choco was apparently good too. Sooooooo good, Hubby Sweet also had to ask what brand it was. Lech. Mas masarap yung breakfast niya kesa sa'kin. Haha. =)

Still, the morning ambience more than made up for it, especially when you consider that we were right smack in the middle of Metro Manila! =) Nothing much beats eating breakfast al fresco on a chilly January morning as Japanese kois swim about you. ^_^


Later that day, we had a spectacular lunch @ Eduardo's (as detailed in an earlier paragraph) and capped off Panet's menu with brewed coffee and my current favorite cake, Frozen Brazo de Mercedes by Ange! Let me put it on record that I am NOT a Brazo de Mercedes fan. I actually loathe it, thinking it is no more than a beautified version of egg with higher calories and cholesterol. Well....*sheepish grin =D*...come to think of it, it actually is. The moment I tasted Ange's at an office function, however....well, it's something else! I suppose it's the ice cream that makes all the difference. Or the fact that the "yema" is not too sweet. Or the fact that the soft merengue was just right, not too dense, but not too airy. Basta! All of them put together makes for one delicious dessert. Diets and diabetes be damned, I decided it was going to be my birthday cake for 2008! Haha. Yum. YUM! ^_^

Apparently, everyone thought so too since practically everyone had second servings, all raving the entire time. The Hubby probably had twice as much serving as the next person who had the most! Then again, HE is a traditional Brazo fan. If he liked the traditional variety, how much more this?! The frozen brazo was polished off in no time at all. =D

The following day, I extended my celebration a bit when I got to the office and excitedly opened the special edition coffee that Hubby Sweet gave me. It had such a beautiful box, I was almost sorry to open it. Part of Starbucks' Black Apron Exclusive Line*, Lomas Al Rio (of Costa Rica) is supposedly the perfect Central American breakfast coffee. The blurb on the back read that it is "sparkly with sweet floral notes reminiscent of orange blooms...". Isn't that such a romantic way to describe coffee?! =D I brewed 3 cups (= one gigantic mug, =)) in my trusty 5-cup mini-coffeemaker and savored the smell of this special coffee wafting through the air. Although I did not imagine myself "watching the sun rise over the mountains amidst the noisy piapia calls of brown jays in gaurumo trees" (as it said in the pack panel blurb, haha), I did savor every sip! I almost wished I did know how it is to watch the sun rise over Central American mountains, how brown jays sounded like, and what gaurumo trees exactly are. If I did, it would have been easy to transport myself to some exotic location--if only in my mind. =D

All in all, it wasn't a bad way to turn 37. (WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!! Hahaha! 'D)

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* The Starbucks Black Apron Exclusive line is a collection of "rare, exotic and cherished coffee". Starbucks buys and and sells this line of coffee at a premium. Proceeds supposedly go to a "tribute fund" from which cash awards for the small farmers and funding for projects within their communities are derived. The primary objective is to encourage small farmers to continue growing their country's traditional coffee despite pressures to grow only the commercially-viable varieties that manufacturers turn into, que horror (!), instant coffee. It is their hope that the program will ensure the survival and long-term sustainability of each variety included in the line, as well as protect the biodiversity within the environments in which these types of coffees are grown. Coffee has grown a conscience and you can sip it in every cup! =)



* On the other hand, if you want to try Ange's Frozen Brazo de Mercedes, just go through the San Lorenzo Amorsolo gate (the one near Don Bosco). The guards usually just let you pass if you tell them you're buying cake from Ange (unless you're suspicious-looking and you look like you're about to rob someone in the neighborhood, haha 'D). Just go straight along that road until you hit house # 75. It's the pink house on your left. Just ring the bell. The frozen brazo is usually available; no need to pre-order (except, I suppose, during peak season). It comes in two sizes. The small pan (4"x8") goes for P300; the big one (7"x11") goes for P500. Methinks the big one is more sulit but get it only if you have a ton of people coming over (I exagerrate, of course =)) OR if you have a big enough freezer to store it in. =)

V-DATE! =) / FEBRUARY 14,2008

An officemate asked me yesterday if I was the type who would make a big deal out of Valentine's. 'Got me thinking. Uh.......NO. Hahaha! 'D

The question, however, made me realize that during My Wander Years (haha), I only made a big deal out of V-Day whenever I'm single & unattached, during which all my other single friends and I would literally band together and celebrate...uh...friendship (haha! 'D) or whenever I'm single-but-being-pursued (in which case, I will either go out if I liked the guy OR hide and pretend that I'm sick just to avoid being seen with someone I don't particularly fancy on THE day-of-all-days! Hahaha! 'D

Being in a relationship this and the succeeding V-Days for the rest of my life (Naks! Haha. =)), yesterday was officially a No-Date-Day for Hubby Sweet and me. I left the office early, but only because I did not want to run into the expectedly horrendous traffic on Boni High Street and Serendra. It was a marked difference, considering that I usually go home 7:00 p.m. at the earliest. Yesterday, I apparently got home too early. Haha! 'D

Expecting me to be home no earlier than 7:30 p.m., I opened the door a little after six to find the Hubby frantically taking off the "cups" from the roses that seem to have just been delivered. I walked down the hall to find a kitchen in total disarray. All the burners on the stove were lit. Soup was bubbling in one corner, even as the store-bought gravy was simmering in the mini-casserole. Mushrooms and garlic were sauteing in one pan (filling the air with the delicious garlic smell that I love), even as the grill-pan was being prepared to be heated on the big fire. On the counter laid four rib-eye steaks, surrounded by a bottle of olive oil, a set of salt & pepper shakers, a can of canned corn kernels and margarine. At his desk, the laptop was on-line, playing a video: How to Prepare and Enjoy Your Rib-Eye Steak.

I had walked into the makings of an in-home V-Date! Haha! Wow. =D

The pics may not look like much and would never stack up against all the other food-styled steaks @ Prince Albert or Highlands Steakhouse. Still, I don't think anyone will argue with me that these rib-eyes are among the most priceless I have ever tasted--notwithstanding the fact that they were served in mismatched plates, cut with mismatched utensils, and notwithstanding the fact that the side dishes were served in different-sized microwaveable containers. Haha! 'D

Happy V-Day, Sweetie!

I love you. =)

MWAH! '*

OUR PERFECT IMPERFECT WEDDING: PART 5 / JULY 15,2006

Happy Valentine's Day! Hahaha! Man, I ought to be shot. =) I received mail from Angel AAze the other day complaining that I haven't been updating my blog. (I have a fan! Yey! Haha. =)) Truth is, my computer (or server) has been on the blink lately. I can't access B! Hmp. Today, apparently, is my lucky day. =)

After reading through my blog--and passing by my blog on Bu & G--I went on a sentimental trip and re-read my blogs about our own wedding. I then realized I forgot to post the last in my-own-wedding series! Haha! (It is, BTW, a repost from my now-defunct Friendster blog. =)) If you want to read Parts 1-4 (for whatever reason, haha), just go to the Sweety & Tweety Milestones folder. =)

Here goes......=)



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The rest of the ceremony went smoothly. Surprisingly, the church wasn't as hot as I thought it would be. If there's anything that my church coordinators got right, it was at least remembering to have a fan directed at us during the entire ceremony. I remember The Hubby & I having a discussion about it. While I also loved the Nuestra Senora, I dreaded the idea of having to go through the entire ceremony wearing a full gown in it. I was concerned that I would end up fainting from heat exhaustion. My cousin got married in the same church. I thought I'd die from the heat at that time--and I was wearing a backless top back then!


Flashback to August 2005 when Hubby S & I were going around Metro Manila, trying to look for the "perfect venues", matching churches with possible reception places. At that time, we still had the illusion that we could keep the entire budget below P250 thousand. HAHAHAHAHA!!! Yeah, right! We rid ourselves of that delusion soon enough. Hehe. Sanctuario de San Antonio was on the list, but it was a nominal one. Being non-parishioners, we would not be allowed to hold our wedding during weekends. Weekends, apparently, were reserved only for the jetset crowd. We were adamant about a Saturday wedding though--to give family and friends every single chance to attend both the ceremony and the reception. We also wanted an afternoon ceremony so dinner won't be too late. Sanctuario de San Antonio was therefore--for all intents and purposes--out. I was all for a Sanctuario San Jose / Edsa Shangri-La match-up. San Jose was simple, but it was airconditioned. Edsa Shang would always be special; it was where The Hubby & I first met up. He wanted us to visit the churches together though before finalizing our choice. One Saturday was reserved for "church-hunting".


Being in the vicinity (although I don't remember anymore why we were in the vicinity), we decided to take a peek at the church in the reclamation area (I forgot what its name was), but decided against it. Mapped against the bay horizon standing seemingly in the middle of nowhere on that particular misty Saturday morning, it looked--for lack of a better word--lonely. The Manila Cathedral and San Agustin were never considered. Their popularity had worked against them because I did not relish the idea of having to rush through my ceremony because another couple was already waiting in the wings for their turn. We briefly toyed around with the idea of getting married at the Malate Church (where my parents got married), but quickly decided against it after flashbacks of the horrendous Saturday traffic in the vicinity. We drove to San Jose in Greenhills next. A wedding was on-going. Perfect, I thought. Kiko was only half-convinced. He did not particularly like the idea of getting married in a church inside an exclusive village. I stifled my protest, choosing to remember instead that it makes sense for us to make the choice together. "Off to Don Bosco then," I told him, deciding in my mind that it was going to be a Don Bosco-New World match-up after all. Navigating through the Saturday EDSA traffic, however, I nonchalantly pointed to a side street at the corner of The Loyola Chapels. "There's a small church somewhere on that street," I said almost unnoticeably. "Then, let's check it out," Kiko said, turning on the eskinita, before I could even protest that the church is too hot for an afternoon wedding. Needless to say, we never got to Don Bosco. As soon as he saw the Nuestra Senora, Hubby Sweet refused to look at any other church! No ifs. No buts. "This is it, Tweet!" he said. Eh alangan namang sabihin kong sa San Jose ko gusto, sa Guadalupe siya. Mali. Patay! Hahaha. 'P


Fast-forward to the present. I'm glad we chose this particular church. It was perfect for the kind of wedding that we wanted. Not too big that it would seem hollow, but big enough to hold all our family & friends. The slight drizzle on that particular day, in hindsight, made the temperature inside the church bearable.


"Francis and Eileen, now that you have received the Holy Sacrament of Matrimony, I admonish you to remain faithful to one another," Fr. Gerry declared, signaling that the mass was about to come to its conclusion.


"Eileen, love your husband and be a good wife. Persevere in faith and love and holiness. Francis, love your wife as Christ loves his Church, and live with her in the holy fear of the Lord," he continued, "The Lord be with you."


"May he bless you by the word of His mouth."


"May he unite your hearts in an enduring bond of pure love."


"May you be blessed in your children, and may the love that you lavish on them be returned a hundredfold."


"May the peace of Christ dwell in your hearts and in your home. May you have true friends to stand by you, both in joy and sorrow."


"May you be ready with help and consolation for all those who come to you in need, and may the blessing promised to the compassionate descend in abundance on your house."


"May you be blessed in your work and enjoy its fruits. May care never cause you distress nor desire for earthly possessions lead you astray, but may your hearts' concern be always for the treasures laid up for you in heaven."


"May the Lord grant you fullness of years so that you may reap the harvest of a good life and after you have served Him with loyalty in His kingdom on earth, may He take you up into His eternal dominion in heaven."


With a smattering of "amens" from our guests after every blessing bestowed, Fr. Gerry finally gave his final blessing, "And may Almightly God bless you all. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."


AMEN!!! Yahoo!!! 'P


You-may-now-kiss-the-bride-portion na! Yehey!!! We turned to Fr. Gerry, waiting for the signal (hahaha!), but instead of giving us the go-ahead, he beamed at us, turned his back and asked us to follow him to the altar. "Ha?" I thought, "Ba't hindi pa you-may-now-kiss-the-bride????!!!!!" Hahaha. Slightly puzzled, we followed him nonetheless.


On the altar, the Church manong laid the marriage certificates. Oh. I see.....


"Each of you has to sign first to finally seal your intention to be married," Fr. Gerry explained, "I will only sign after you do. Please check that all the details are accurate....Una na kayo," he kidded, "Pag pinirmahan ko na yan, wala na talagang urungan." Hahaha.


I attempted to double-check the details, but could honestly, at that point in time, not process any of the words written on the sheet. My name could have been spelled Torkwata Manule and I still would have signed the darn thing! Hahaha. Fortunately, I have actually proofread the document a few weeks earlier when I submitted all the requirements to Ate Inday, the church secretary. I just trusted that I was signing the exact same document on that day.


I signed off first. Kiko signed off next. Fr. Gerry asked us a final time if we wanted him to sign it. We laughed and said yes. And so, he finally did.


"Now, you're married!" he declared, and ushered us back to the front of the sanctuary. (Ganun?! Does that mean the ceremony was for pure entertainment purposes? Hahaha! JOKE! =))


Hubby Sweet and I stood side-by-side in front of all our guests, beaming.


"Francis," Fr. Gerry admonished, "you may now kiss your bride."


Finally! Haha! 'P

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P.S. - Dear God, thanks for all the love and the peace and the work and the help and the friends and the consolation and the compassion and the fruits and the abundance and all the other blessings you have sent our way. Still, I'd like to make one more request. Would You mind sending some of the children we asked for our way soon? Haha! =D

MY MISTAKE!!! =D

Sacrilege! Haha.

Idina Menzel mooed at the moon as MAUREEN in Rent!, and not as Mimi as I had previously typed. Right vision in my head. Wrong name. Haha.

I felt compelled to correct myself. *blush-followed-by-a-sheepish-grin* =D

WICKED!!! - DEFYING GRAVITY

Here you go! The final one in this particular series. =)

Although Avenue Q won the Best Musical @ the 2004 Tony Awards (something that perplexes me actually, despite the fact that I also super love Ave Q too =)), Wicked moved on to win in 20 other categories that year including Best Actress with Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth as the two foremost runners in the category. Idina as Elpheba eventually won, and quite expectedly shared the award with Kristin. =) Must share that I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that Idina was the same actress who played the superfluous Mimi in my other super-loved musical, Rent! I didn't recognize her under the green exterior. Haha. =) Still, I must say I was impressed that she could play these two VERY DIFFERENT characters quite convincingly. Best actress nga siya! Haha! =)

Did I digress? Sorry. Haha. Back to the topic at hand! =)

After a startling discovery about the Wizard whom they held in high esteem, "Defying Gravity" marks the fork in the road between Elpheba and Galinda who forged a solid friendship and a solid reputation as the two most talented witches at Chiz (pre-Hogrwarts, yes, haha =)).

And so begins the Legend of the Wicked Witch of the West and of Glinda the Good.... =)

I WISH I WERE BACK IN BROADWAY!!!! Waaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!