Mr. and Mrs. Melvin and Karissa Tiania wedding (Eager Learners' Weekend at Tagaytay)

This is my super late post about my most recent weekend (and so far, happiest weekend of my year). I got to see my kapatids from TriDee because we all (Well, not everyone was there) attended to our second bunso's wedding, Andrea Karissa's wedding. For those who don't know Andrea, she was my college classmate and co-dancer way back in college. She was never the hippie or the popular one but she's the girl whom I always laugh at when she says a joke. I always knew it was a serious line but it was not.

When she announced her wedding last May 17, I was with my other friends and I almost shouted inside a videoke hub because of sudden shock and surprise. Andeng's (her "naimbentong" nickname. Everyone in TriDee has that thing) one of our youngest members and who would have thought that she will be leaving single life at the age of 20? Hahaha. No one. 

When she announced her wedding on the said date, everyone was in great shock but we were all excited to see her walking down the aisle. So we planned, met and traveled to go to Tagaytay because the venue was there. We were divided into three groups. The #TeamExcited #TeamKalma and #TeamLateSlashLigaw Hahahaha! I just made those group names to classify the class.

So #TeamExcited were composed of the most "time conscious" members of the gang namely Chareez, Desiree, Desiree's boyfie, Karl, Marlon, Jobelle, Jessica, Rhona, Joy, Aljean, Elbert, Andrea's best friend, Joana and I. We met at Farmer's Market at 7 am. Original plan was to meet at 6 am but as expected by Earth, all of us were late. Hahaha! We walked on the other side of EDSA then rode a bus to Mendez-Crossing, which is already in Tagaytay's vicinity. It took us almost 3 hours on the bus. I know an easier way to get there but ayoko magmagaling. Hahaha! We laughed and slept for a few minutes until we reached the beautiful heaven of Tagaytay. It was soooo beautiful I could die at that very moment.

Everyone decided to eat somewhere when we alighted from the bus. We don't have the energy to face the bride with not so good tummies so we decided to eat at Mang Inasal. And we're so happy because "Ang Ate Ng Bayan", Ate Labiey made it just in time. We ate then we decided to ride a jeep to Andrea's place so that we can rest and stay in while waiting for the others. 

We stayed in Habana's residence before we started to prepare. Desiree and Jobelle helped with the sponsors' make up then us afterwards. I really love how these two work together when it comes to vanity. Hahaha! Just kidding. Just in the middle of preparation, #TeamKalma composed of Maggie, Shinjen, Melody, Carl and Narisa came with lots of laughs and stories. But #TeamLateSlashLigaw was calling everyone to ask for directions. They didn't know that they passed by the venue and the house for several times. They even laughed at theirselves because they sang songs while they are searching for the place. By the way, #TeamLateSlashLigaw was composed of my beloved TGAL barkada. Kim, Kathy, Ria, Ria's boyfriend, RJ and Elaine.

So nuff of the my senseless stories. Hahaha! I'll show some pictures from different views and different cameras.

With niggs, Chacha :)

#TeamExcited represent! HAHAHA

One of the funniest stolen shots of the trip, JessBert!

Pig out moment with Ate Labiey.

With the bride's best friend, Betty :)

We're too early for the wedding. Hahaha. The bride preparing for her big day!

While waiting for #TeamLateSlashLigaw

TriDee's videographers, Kim and Ate Biey.

Ria singing "A Thousand Years" for Andrea's wedding march.

Our Andrea. I was a bit emotional while she was marching her way to the aisle. She was one of the coolest and funniest girls from the class. 

The couple's parents.

The couple. Gwapo mo dito Mhel! HAHAHA.

Signing of the marriage certificates.

The tarp from the reception.

Since this is my blog, I have my solo! HAHAHA :D

The newlyweds, Mr. and Mrs. Melvin and Karissa Tiania :)

Boyong, Mhel, Carlits and Bisoy.

B3. Boyong, Bisoy and Buntis. XD

Stolen ulit. Hahaha! Reception :)

Us with the bride.

So after the reception, it was surprising to know that the newlyweds will sleep with us. Lots of awkward moments. Hahaha! :D So we slept in one old house and had our after party 'till 2:30 AM. Early, right? We were forced to sleep early because majority would leave early.

Highlight: After a long time, we had our complete picture. TGAL girls.

Kim, Kathy, me, Ate Labiey, Chacha, Ria and Elaine.

Then the following morning, we were divided into 3. #TeamLigawSlashLate left first, then #TeamKalma. #TeamExcited helped the newlyweds clean the house then left. We walked from the city proper to find a place to eat.

Taal Volcano view. This is breathtaking. Seriously.

Pasalubongs :) Hehehe.

And of course, this trip would not be complete if we don't have a group picture. Hahaha! Madami ng naumay dito because almost everyone from the class set this as their cover photo sa FB. Including me. Hahaha. Cute eh.

So there you go, this is us after a year. Hahaha! We changed a bit. So as of this writing, I am guessing who is the next in line. Hahaha! 

I had fun with my kapatids and I love them! Thank you TriDee barkada! <3

 

What I know about PROFESSIONALISM.

Disclaimer: This post is based on my own experience. Any similar name or code name used in this post is purely coincidental. This is Taglish so sorry for the Filipino wrong terms.

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Year 2009 when I was purely exposed to what they usually call LEADERSHIP. I told the ABE community that at that time, I was not given a chance to be an officer and that would be the first one. Fortunately, I was elected an Auditor because of them and that was when my GEMs career started. I was a neophyte that time but my Seniors taught me the things they know. So, the next year I aimed for one of the 2nd highest position in the said organization, I succeeded and there it was, I am the 17th Vice President for External Affairs of the organization since 1993.

I left my job sa GEMs with full of lessons. Like what I always say, GEMs is where I learned my well-lived lessons. I learned a lot and one of them is to deal with unprofessional people.

There was this one professor who tried to ruin my Transcript of Records by giving me an unjustifiable 2.75 just because he hates me for knowing that he had a relationship with my close friend. There was this professor who made some stories about me and my friend being these disrespectful juniors. There was this professor who spread rumors that I had an information failure. And there was this higher official of the university who did not want me to go out of the university and sulked to death because I was not responding to her messages about my career path.

I left my Alma Mater with mixed emotions and a lot of experience that made me stronger. Sabi nga nila, matibay na ang sikmura ko sa mga ganyang tao. Sa dalawang taon ko sa GEMs, nalaman ko na kung paano malaman kung totoo ang isang tao o hindi.

Unprofessional people (adj.)
- term used for set of people who do not know how to play the game fairly.
- term used for people who use personal grudges against people they do not want.

Sad to say, isang taon pa lang akong nasa corporate world but I already experienced bad things about work. I think it is not bad for me to dream of a good and healthy workplace. But maybe, it's not about the place anymore, it's about how you deal with them... Kahit nasusuka ka na.

I have dealt with hypocrite people, thieves and story fabricators. (This is my own term.) I really do not know their reasons on why they have to do such things to people who just wanted to have better life through striving every day. I do not know what they are going through, but I know they know what employees are really going through. We do not have the same reasons but at least, there is this common denominator.

This past week was a stressful one. A total surreal blur. I was not alone actually. I got a whole bunch of people at my back. But it is just, we cannot take what is going on.

We have this boss who loves to say bad things about other people. Isa kasi sa mga prinsipyo ko sa buhay eh yung pag may galit ka sa tao, just say it to them. Right in front of the person's face. O kahit hindi mo na sabihin, paramdam mo na lang. Wala naman sigurong gustong makasakit, pero if you think you're in the correct line of reasoning, why not?

He said bad things about other people. When we ask him, what was his reason of saying such, he said another person's name and drag it so that we will feel bad about the person. I thought I was the only one who noticed this bad attitude but I was wrong. It was the whole team who knew it.

This week, he unleashed the bitchy side of one of my closest workmates/friends from college. She was a kind person, but she saw injustice and poor reasoning, so she burst her feelings out and confronted him. No one expected that she would do it, but to my own surprise, she did.

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So there you go, the bottom line of this post is that, in the corporate world, you will find it hard to look for that person to trust. Na sa labas ng opisina, you are still friends and he/she won't do anything for you to feel bad.

TRUST. Importante yan kasi proteksyon. Joke lang! Haha. Kidding aside, TRUST is really important. and TRUST goes with RESPECT. These two things are those you cannot learn or be read from books or articles. THESE ARE EARNED. THEY ARE EARNED.

Sana isa sa mga matutunan ng tao eh yung rumespeto sa mga decisions ng iba. Respect their personality. RESPECT THE PERSON. And if you give them responsibilities to do, TRUST them...

Because A LEADER is far DIFFERENT from A BOSS.

Breakaway.

"... Take a chance, make a change and breakaway..."

Well, that was a line from a famous Kelly Clarkson song. Actually, it has always been my favorite song since I don't know when. But I never heard that song for a long time. But it feels good to listen to it. Lakas lang maka-Independence Day and Sam @ 18. Haha.

Maybe, the timing was just perfect. I am in the middle of giving up and letting it all go. Well, I've been in this situation for a countless of times but I knew that this is the end of everything. I felt like all the things that I've been up to are no longer vital to what I am right now. I am at that point wherein the sole reason on why I go to work every day is the salary and nothing else. Yeah, and I don't want that.

Every human being, I think, needs satisfaction and fulfillment in their respective lives. Sad to say, I've been losing reasons to stay. God knows I tried. Every second of my life and every moment of it. I guess, one year is one year and I have to move on.

Then, I realized, I am just 21 and I am too young to build walls for me to venture to other opportunities and people of the same age should explore and be adventurous. After all, experience is the best teacher and everyone can learn a lot from it.

I consulted some close friends and siblings from different parents and to my surprise, they feel the same thing. It was not an easy task to stay out of school after 16 years but it was necessary for us to go. The university we attended to thinks that we are stress-proof enough and we can handle situations which we are not used to.

I loved my job. I loved the people around it but I guess, this is the finish line. I have learned a lot and I discovered more too and those lessons will always be my guide and part of my building heart, ready to face challenges and to absorb things for me to be strong enough to face more troubles in store for me.

This, I say, with all of my heart,

Thank you :)

Dear Ex-Bestfriend

Huy! Ay mali, wala na pala ako sa posisyon na magsabi ng" huy" sayo. Pero sana hayaan mo akong kamustahin ka. Kamusta ka na? Mukha namang masaya ka sa buhay mo ngayon. Nakikita ko sa Instagram mo eh. Kahit di natin finafollow yung isa't isa, nakikita ko naman yung mga post mo kasi naka-public ka. Ilang beses kong sinubukan na i-follow ka, pero wala akong lakas ng loob na makita yung wala kang imik sa pag-follow ko. Isang taon na pala no? Simula yung huling chance na nagkausap tayo. Kung hindi ako nagkakamali, hindi naging maganda yung encounter natin noon.

Nagkasumbatan, nagkalabasan ng sama ng loob, may chance pa nga na may hindi sumagot sa tanong nino eh. Di ko lang talaga matandaan kung sino tayo sa dalawang yun. Ang worse nun. Napakaworse. Hindi ko akalain na matatapos tayo sa ganung paraan.

Sobrang kabaligtaran yun nung huling pagkikita natin sa Quezon City Circle. Sa tapat ng fountain. Kung saan mo tinapon ang singsing niyo ng ex-boyfriend mong pinakapaborito ko sa lahat. Nilibre mo pa nga ako sa McDonald's sa Litex eh. Bilang pakunswelo na lang sa ginawa kong paglipad from Ortigas to Elliptical Road. Kasi alam mo namang pagod ako galing sa trabaho, mainit at maalinsangan at alam mong ayaw ko ng ganung pakiramdam.

Aaminin ko, nanghinayang ako sa 8 years ng buhay natin na nag-invest tayo sa friendship. Akalain mo 11 years old tayo nagkakilala, natapos tayo ng parehas tayong tumungtong ng 20. Naalala ko pa, peg natin ang "Me and You Against The World". Nalagpasan na natin yung crucial na time ng kahit na anong relasyon. Nagkagalit na tayo sa dahil sa lalaki, dahil sa pagsisikreto, tampuhan dahil sa maliliit na bagay. Nagsama na din tayo sa iisang bahay, kumain sa iisang plato at kumain ng iisang pagkain.

Lahat na ata nagawa na natin ng magkasama. Kahit na alam natin na hindi tayo nagkakasundo sa madaming bagay. After one year, saka ko lang naisip kung ano ba talagang nangyari sa atin at umabot tayo sa masaklap na goodbye.

Siguro, hindi na naman tayo nagkaintindihan. Hindi tayo nagkatagpo sa gitna ng kahit na anong argumento. Laging ako yung nagbibigay. Ako yung laging bumababa para matapos lang. Para kasi sa akin, mas importante ka kesa sa kung ano pang klaseng culprit na mas sikat sa tawag na PRIDE. Pero kasi ako, alam kong may mali ako at katampo tampo naman kasi talaga yung ginawa mo sa akin. Umabot lang ako sa pisi at dulo ng lahat.

Umalis ka sa bahay ng walang paalam sa akin. Isang linggo ka ng wala nung napansin kong hindi ka na umuuwi. Alam mo ba kung gaano kasakit sa akin yun? Wala man lang paalam, nawala ka bigla. Siguro, katampo tampo naman kasi talaga yung moment na lahat ng imbitasyon ko, wala kang tinanggap kahit isa pero ako ni isang school activity mo, wala akong pinalampas. Nagcu-cut pa nga ako ng klase para lang makaattend. Hindi ako nanunumbat ah? Sinasabi ko lang yung mga posibleng dahilan kung bakit ako nakabuo ng hindi magandang impresyon sayo.

Alam mo namang hindi ko ugali na manumbat pero siguro di na kinaya ng puso ko ang lahat. Na sa lahat ng sinabi mo, ako pa ang lumabas na walang kwenta, na walang pakikisama. Sana bago mo binatawan lahat ng salitang yun, pinakinggan mo muna ako. Sana pinag-explain mo muna ako at nakinig ka kung ano bang puno't dulo ng sama ng loob ko. Sana hinayaan mo muna akong magsalita. Tutal, sa lahat naman ng oras, hinahayaan kitang magsalita at magdesisyon para sa ating dalawa.

Nung nalaman kong sa Ortigas ka lang din nagttrabaho. Di ko alam kung anong dapat kong maramdaman, dapat ba akong matuwa, ma-excite o kabahan dahil kung ang mundo nga eh maliit, ang Ortigas pa kaya. Siguro isang araw, magkakasalubong tayo ulit. Hindi ko alam kung magha-hi ba ako o dadaan lang. Sabi mo nga, back to strangers. Na-unfriend na din naman kita sa Facebook dahil ayokong makita ang lahat ng posts mo.

Yun lang naman. Naisip ko lang na sulatan ka kahit alam kong hindi mo mababasa kasi wala kang oras or more like, hindi mo ito alam. Sana maging masaya ka sa buhay mo. Hindi na ako umaasang magiging magkaibigan ulit tayo. Isang taon na din naman ang nakakaraan. Naka-move on naman na ako at hindi ko na masyadong iniisip. Wala na din yung sakit at ang sama ng loob.

Ingat ka na lang lagi.

Nangungumusta lang,
Sam.

Time.

Just like any other fairytale in Hans Christian Andersen's books and stories told by The Grimm Brothers, I just realized that not all tales end with the famous "Happily Ever After" quote.

Oo, at the age of 21 lang ako natigil sa paniniwala na may fairytale sa totoong buhay. Na yung mga bagay na gusto mong mapasayo eh nakukuha mo. Alam kong mali, pero ngayon ko lang narealize na hindi pala tama na pairalin ko ang gusto ko kesa sa kung alam kong tama.

Hindi ako naiwanan. In all fairness, alam kong wala namang naiwan. Pero mahirap pa rin ang posisyon na hindi niyo alam parehas kung nasaang banda na kayo ng storya niyo.

Nagsimula lahat ng mabilis. Parang hindi pinag-isipan, hindi dumaan sa tamang proseso. Pinangunahan ang tamang panahon na pinaniwala ang mga sarili nila sa maling oras. Hindi naniwala sa perfect timing kasi naniwalang ang gusto nilang oras eh yun yung perfect.

At natapos din ng hindi maganda. Ngayon, naniniwala nakong may sariling timeline si God. Na hindi sapat na ticket yung gusto niyo yung isa't-isa at hindi iniisip kung ano ba yung dapat.

Siguro, kaya nangyari ito kasi ito yung katok ni God na may mali. Na kailangang pakawalan. Na may ibang tao para sa amin. Maliit na parte lang ito ng buhay namin na pwedeng maging aral o isang regret.

Mahirap. Makaka-move on din ako. Makakpag-let go din ako. Mangyayari din yung gusto ko. Makukuha ko rin yung matagal ko ng gusto.

Mangyayari ang lahat satamang oras. According sa timeline Niya.

At yun ang PERFECT TIMING.

I just feel so devastated.

I really do not know why. This maybe a thing that happens to girl when they are about to be visited by an unexpected-yet-expected friend (If you know what I mean.)

GRR! I do not know. Whatever. I just want to show other people how disappointed I am.

A Moment Like This

No one can ever tell how one should feel when they turn a year older. It's no one's right to tell someone what should they do when they turn 21. Aside from the fact that you can get married without your parents' consent, there will always be things that you want to do when God gave you another year to live.

In 10 days time, I will turn 21 and by then, I'll be allowed to everything. My dad told me that if I turn 21, he will no longer text me at night and ask me his most frequent asked question, "Are you home yet?" (Play Kelly Clarkson's A Moment Like This at this part. Hahaha!)

My mom just said that if I'm 21, she will try to sleep soundly at night when she knows I am out that night and trying to make the most out of my life and expect two weeks later that I am having my first child and her first grandchild, with our without a father. (Then at this part, Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People)

My family can be comic at times but they usually tell me to take care and of course, save money. Mom always reminds me to spare 10% of my monthly salary on my savings, which I cannot do and frankly speaking, I don't know why. Maybe because, I usually feel a millionaire when I receive my perks of being a hardworking new graduate. That is why I decided to buy a planner this year. I noticed that my life became a little less stressful when I had my 2012 planner with me, and I have my space to put my expenses. Yay!

Enough of money matters. Before I went to sleep last night, I asked myself what are my 21st birthday wishes. At first, I don't have any, but the moment I closed my eyes (I hate my brain at times. Haha), 21 wishes went out of my head and they are as follows:

1. Summer getaway with friends. (Which I think is a must! BATANGAS BEACH!)
2. The Return of the Comeback of Benesse Corporation.
3. One sweet text on the 25th.
4. Small get-together with ABE 4-3 or Grown-ups
5. Simple yet complete celebration with family.
6. Visit my nanays in PUP.
7. Night out with Talen-TODO staff.
8. Everything back to normal. (Like, I'm begging!)
9. Good health
10. Great discoveries (Like neighbors' WiFi password, tunnel from Tycoon to Altura, stuff like that! Hahaha)
11. New set of Kalookies! (Celine, Chareez and I's favorite)
12. My reading glasses
13. Lose weight. (For the past week, I lost 4 lbs. Thanks to late night jogging at our family court)
14. Same friends 'till infinity and beyond (Buzz Lightyear levels!)
15. Let go of some things and people from the past.
16. Better health condition for the family
17. CAAAAAAR!
18. Roadtrip across the metro (My norm when I was still a college student)
19. Time
20. Be with BABA on my birthday
21. More blessings. :))

You see? Though I am turning 21, I still have this list of wishes. I guess, my kiddie side is just there, but sad to say, not the immature side because I have forgotten about that, long long time ago. Hahahaha :D #JustKidding