Celebrating Vday the Hot Air Balloon Way

A buzzer beater post for Flashback Fridays =D

Two weeks ago, my girls and I traveled all the way up North for our Valentine's Day celebration, with the men of our lives of course! ^_^ We went to the 16th Philippine Hotair Balloon Festival at Clark Field, Pampanga. It was a fun, fun day, and it was extra special because it was Jhay's first getaway with the School of Fish.

Now it's easier to share our adventure through pictures...

We left Manila at 12MN because we were told that the Clark Area gets pretty much jampacked by around 4AM. We got there at 2AM, still too early, but there are still folks earlier than us! This is among the day's first few shots -- From left to right: Donz and Nhix, Emil and Jejo, Edmund and Jaq, Jhay and Me!

Noreen (right) was the one who took the first photo. She's the barkada's only single lady! But mind you, she's perfectly happy that way. Her only sister, Lysa, is her boyfriend for the day :-)

We got the ticket for the event a few days ahead via their Manila office. The process was a little tedious (you deposit your payment to their bank account, fax them the deposit slip, wait for the confirmation e-mail then pick-up the ticket at PSE Tektite) but it's definitely better than falling in line on the day itself :-)

At 4AM, we joined the crowd and waited for the gates to open. They let us in after about 30 minutes.

The first balloon that we saw was that of Caltex, the company behind this international event. It was tethered, probably for picture-taking purposes. We intended to pose by it but by the time the sun was up, the queue was already long :-(

I found it pretty cool when the Philippine flag was flown as the National Anthem played in the background. Sorry, first timer here. Hahaha. And please, excuse the poor quality of the photos, mine's just a point and shoot :P

The programme published in various websites said that the balloon flight is at 5:30 AM but by 6AM, they've only just begun filling them with air. I was amazed at the process but I tell you it ain't easy.

You can feel the anticipation of the crowd (us included) as the balloons slowly took shape ^_^

Photo opp while they're still there! :-)

And another one! Oh yeah, the field where the balloons are are fenced and only those with photographer's pass (worth a thousand bucks, by the way) are allowed inside. But, but, but... our spot isn't bad at all! Being early paid off :-)

Colorful balloons taking off one by one. It was really a pretty sight. These are the moments I wish I had a DSLR. But don't be sad dear Ixus, you're still my first love :-)

With the sun rising in the background.

Crowd favorites =D

When all the balloons were already soaring high, we opted to eat. Finding a table was a real challenge but that's nothing compared to buying from McDonalds. It took Jhay an hour to get a burger meal, 1-pc chicken and a sundae. In fact, our friends were already done eating by then.

After our meal, we roamed around a little then went back to the car because it was scorching hot.

Going out of the compound was a struggle too. To give you an idea, imagine the gates of the cemeteries during All Soul's Day. Exaggeration aside, I promise. The volume of people and the heat made us decide to leave by 9AM. We thought we'll just stroll at SM Clark instead. But wait, there's more -- going out of the parking lot also took an hour! Thus, by the time we got to SM Clark, we were already too lazy to move out of the car. We definitely weren't able to make the most out of the festival but for me, my PhP 150 is already worth it. It's only the hot air balloons we went there for, anyway :-D

We drove straight to NLEX and just stopped over at a gasoline station at Mexico, Pampanga. While asking each other where to eat, we posed by (of all the spots) the watermelons! Kanya-kanyang trip lang yan :P

We had lunch at Kenny Rogers and then it was time for couples' shots.

After lunch, some more picture taking followed.

The girls.

The boys with Lysa.

The Lovebirds ^_^

And what better way to end a happy trip than a pair of uber happy pictures :-)

It was indeed a short-lived out-of-town trip but it was nothing short of fun. The journey is, after all, more important than the destination *wink*

Hopin' you enjoyed the first installment of the series,

It's a Happy Monday!

I stayed up late last Friday mainly to make up to this blog site but as I was trying to put my thoughts together, I blog-hopped and landed at Ms. Nikki Tiu's beauty blog, AskMeWhats. I saw that she's hosting another contest:

Screencap from her site.

I thought it was very timely because Faye will be having her JS prom this coming Wednesday. Being the stage sister that I am, I typed my entry right away and submitted it with high hopes. When I checked back after a few minutes, my heart was crushed when I saw that a lot of other readers have already joined and there is no way I'll make it to the first 5. Thus, I convinced myself that the prize isn't meant for me. Better luck next time, Em.

And then today, I checked my mail and almost jumped for joy when I saw this:

I went to her site again to know how I won and it turned out that Paul&Joe gave another 5 GCs and I'm part of the second batch. It was, after all, meant for me!!! :D

With this, I'm sure Faye would look stunning on her prom night. A huge thanks to Ms. Nikki for the giveaway! ^_^

Oh let me say it again... Happy Monday everyone! :-)

Cebu vs. Ilocos

Three months and a week left until our 6th Anniversary and I'm still undecided where to celebrate it. When it comes to stuff like this, Jhay always takes the back seat and gives me full control. Well that's a no-brainer because he knows that I plan getaways... with a passion. Our 2011 getaway, however, is a tough one because after about a hundred web pages visited and a handful of comments from friends, I'm still torn between two local destinations: ILOCOS and CEBU.

I've always wanted to visit Cebu. It boasts of a lot of tourist spots, Magellan's Cross, Taoist Temple and Bantayan Island among others. And when I heard about the Skywalk Adventure, my eagerness to set foot on the Queen City of the South skyrocketed. Just thinking of exploring a city far from home, just the two of us, makes me wanna book the soonest flight out.

Here are some photos of Cebu attractions, so you'd understand where the excitement is coming from :-)

photo from here

photo from here

photo from here

photo from here

And then, thanks to a cousin who recently went there and brought home nothing but good words, Ilocos came into the picture. It's undoubtedly rich in culture and history and natural beauty. Calle Crisologo, Marcos Museum, Malacanang of the North, Bangui Windmills, numerous baroque churches and the famous Pagudpud Beach are more than enough reasons to fall in love with the province. It is, however, still in Luzon thus defeating my desire to expand my horizons.

Nonetheless, join me as I marvel at what the northern part of the country has to offer:

photo from here

photo from here

photo from here

photo from here

Here's the deal. Based on my research, a 4D3N trip to Cebu would cost approximately Php15000 while that to Ilocos is more or less PhP12000.

Have you guys been to both provinces? Considering the distance, the itinerary and the budget, which is the better choice? I have to decide soon so I'd really appreciate some expert advice. Let me know what you guys think :-)

Thanks in advance!

Presenting... Flashback Fridays!

If you are a frequent passer-by of Maude's Avenue, you may have noticed how not just once I've neglected publishing posts on a regular basis. My absence spanned 7 days, 1 week, and then just recently an entire month. I'm definitely not happy about it, I tell you. Especially because in those days that I'm not posting, there are some draft blogs that completely lost their value. Some became already outdated (i.e. my "2010 in Review" post) or some just became a distant memory I'm not sure if I'll still be able to capture in writing. The good news is, I'm determined to give it a try ;-)

Hence, a blog series that I'll call...

Here in my blog, Fridays are dedicated to a food trip, a barkada bonding moment, a family affair, or a romantic getaway that occurred in the past but I haven't had the chance (or the energy) to share. We all deserve second chances, don't we? :D

Because it'll be Saturday in a few minutes, next Friday comes the first official FF post. Stick around, ha? ^^,

It's Been a While

Today it's been a month and a day since the last time I posted. I only had three posts for January. Pathetic, I know. Work has been crazy the past weeks. Nine hours in front of the PC makes me not want to turn the laptop on when I get home. Sometimes I do but I just spend a few minutes checking my Facebook, and then I doze off. On top of that, I seem to have lost the enthusiasm to write. I don't want the posts to be half-baked so I just don't blog at all.

Now enough of the drama!

Yesterday I got a sweet Valentine surprise and I'm not letting the feeling slip away without blogging it! ^_^

He had flowers delivered to the office! Well yeah, that's not uncommon especially on the day of hearts but when he gave me a bouquet on my graduation he told me that I should savor the moment because it's not gonna happen again, unless I graduate again. Sweet, no? But, but, but... he still did! And that just swept me off my feet.

So to my Jhay, who did for me one of the many kilig moments most girls dream of, I love you and I would love to be your Valentine forever and a day :-*

 As promised Hon, here's a picture of me holding it :-)

Realizations

Jhay and I have been talking about marriage and family life for the longest time. Being together for almost six years, we know that settling down is something that’s in the near future already. We often tell each other that had we not have responsibilities to our own families, I’m most likely Mrs. Hipolito by now.

Until one day it dawned on me. During one of my staring-into-nothingness moments, I realized that I don’t wanna get married yet. Well at least not in the next five years. Close friends may be laughing at this point because they’ve heard about my dream wedding (and the hopes of fulfilling them soon) a thousand times over but hey, it just hit me. Gusto ko pa pala ng mas maraming panahon para sa mga pangarap ko.

Seriously, I don’t know what got into this head of mine but all of a sudden, I thought that I still want to be young. All of a sudden I realized that I’ve been acting too much like a 30-year old when in fact it’s just three years since I said goodbye to being a teen. It could be because I stress myself too much about work, I mind the kids’ baon and the bills, I get carried away in being a mommy to Haley, so everything was on fast-forward mode that I almost forgot that I am 22 and I have to enjoy my youth while it’s here.

This doesn’t mean that I love Jhay less nor not want to marry him anymore. JUST NOT YET. It’s just that now I have a stronger conviction that I wanna live the life of my dreams first before WE live the life of OUR dreams. There are more beautiful places in the world that I have to set foot on, more crazy nights with friends, more I.T. experience in my CV, more items awaiting to be ticked off my imaginary checklist – the same way that he has his own goals that he wanted to accomplish before kissing bachelorhood adieu. Sure sleeping in each other’s arms every night is bliss but with that comes a lot more serious things that we fail to include in the happy picture: next day’s menu, running out of groceries, paying rent, car maintenance, heaps of laundry, having a baby, ensuring his/her bright future, and the list goes on.

You get my point, right? Greater things are in store for me, for us, and we are giving our best to turn our reveries into reality before immersing ourselves in bigger responsibilities.

Hang in there, Honey, because a beautiful forever awaits us after we’ve lived singlehood, and lived it well.

P.S. No, this isn't about last night's argument :P

I'm Finally Filling in the Blank :-)

When Tisha announced in her blog that I won her Christmas giveaway, I was reminded that I still owe you guys something. Remember my I ____ you, Tomorrow post? After more than two weeks, I am now sharing how that faithful day went.

A little background first: Jhay and I have been together for five years and a half. Halfway into the relationship, I introduced him to my family. He comes to our house every so often, joins us during special occasions, gets along with my folks even without me around -- pretty much considered "one of us" already. On the other hand, I, weird as it may sound to many, haven't met his family members yet. Sure his older brother I met in a blogger event 2 months ago and his younger brother my constant Facebook chatmate but other than that, there are no formal introductions to his clan... until December 18, 2010.

It was Jhay's only nephew TJ's first birthday. I was invited of course but we had to argue whether or not I'll attend. You see, Jhay is his family's breadwinner and as such, his mom isn't so cool about him having a girlfriend. She knows that Jhay has one (because I have pictures in his room or I call and she's the one who answers the phone) but for Jhay to tag me along and introduce me to everyone makes her think that he's gonna marry soon and leave the family just like that. Jhay, however, has made up his mind: He's taking advantage of the party's festive mood and do the introductions.

To say that I was nervous is an understatement. On the way to Jollibee West Avenue I could feel my heart beating so fast and my hands cold as ice. I got there in no time and I was welcomed by Kuya Migs (the celebrant's dad). As I entered the premises, I saw everyone giving me that who-the-hell-is-she look. Jhay immediately came to the rescue, held my hand then ushered me towards the table where his mom and dad were seated. I was murmuring to myself, "Oh my gosh, Em, this is it!" *_*

Jhay mentioned my name while I stood beside him in my sweetest smile thinking that that could cover up the nerves. His mom looked at me from head to toe and I swear that was the first time someone did that to me! I was so tensed I didn't know what to do next until I heard Jhay whisper "Bless..." My freezing hands took theirs and brought them to my forehead as a sign of respect. His mom then introduced me to the lady beside her, her best friend, who smiled after I shook her hand. Afterwards, Jhay and I went back to our seats while telling each other "Whew! What a relief!"

As we settled in our table I could see his mom and her bestfriend still looking at me and yeah, talking about me. I just hope I made a good impression despite the tension. Meanwhile, Jhay asked me to loosen up because we're through with the tough part, and it's about time to enjoy the event :-)

Meet TJ, the birthday celebrant, holding my gift :)

 These are what I got him: a car stuffed toy and

a shirt that I also love to see my future baby boy wearing ^_^

A few moments before the party started, Jhay's favorite aunt arrived together with her family. He introduced me to them as they were the ones who we shared the table with. Tita Meg was the warmest! I was instantly at ease talking to her and exchanging a laugh or two. She's so nice she even invited me to go malling with them just because. Sadly though, I was shy to have a picture taken with her.

Here are the few pictures that I got:

 From left to right: Kuya Migs' bestfriend, Jhay's younger brother Francis,

my lovey dove and me :-)

 A picture of us taken by Kuya Migs (grabbed from his Facebook too! haha)

Jollibee atop a chair. He's the most maligalig Jollibee I've ever seen,

and the best dancer too!

 TJ with his mom and dad. All three of them plus the grannies from

both sides were all wearing Transformers shirts. Cool :)

 Makes me wanna have our own little boy already ^_^

Most kids would cry when people they see for the

first time carries them. He didn't. I love him na ^_^

On my way home, Jhay and I were exchanging text messages about the experience. We're both happy that we were able to reach another milestone in our relationship (and a major one at that!) I have to say two hours was too short for my version of Meet the Parents but it was just enough for me to fill in the blanks in the I ____ you, Tomorrow with L-O-V-E.

Oh by the way, the next morning, Jhay's mom told him this over breakfast: "Ang ganda naman ng girlfriend mo, ganda mag-smile, may dimples. Kaya lang sabihin mo magpapayat." Hahahaha. I actually get that comment all the time but I sooooo appreciate it coming from his mom *wink*

Looking forward to our next adventures with his family,