the team that was...

How ironic it is to say that we went to Holiday Inn Galleria last 04 November to do a team building when we are no longer in one team.. oh well, what the heck, all we wanted to do is to spend the budget provided and spell fun our way!!

Destination 1: Hotel's penthouse to discuss enrollment incentive and the Opera system


Class Picture 1
(standing):Mark, Nino, Will, Anthony (seated): Pat, Mwah, Lee, Raech, Ann, Peachy
Nino, gising.. huy, maya ka na matulog, magpipicture pa tayo.. Anthony, musta naman dyan? galaw-galaw, baka mastroke.. or nastroke ka na nga..hehe


Class Picture 2: with the hotel employees

Destination 2: Tiendesitas to bond with the hotel employees, listen to the bands and digest those sisig.. hmm.. yum yum!!


a segment of our very long table

Destination 3: barOne, a sports bar, 4th flr of the hotel


Cheers!

Round 1divine , ramah, christy, peachy, ann, will, raech, moi, lee
>
Centerpiece: featuring Ramah and the magic horse..haha

The Magic horse, Patweetums Lee and the girls.. nyay, andyan ka pala jap!

Destination 4: Hotel room 912

As far as I know we booked a 2 double bed suite with whirlpool ( of course, under the employee rate), pero as usual, pag picture taking, siksikan sa isang kwarto.. (photos at around 5 am)







ramah's vanity taking over her ; jap + divine = japine: the original love team

and for the following, i'd say blame it to the beer.. or come to think of it, this is just unleashing the mark within.. haha




All in all, i'd say this was fun fun fun!!!

birthday girl

Once upon a time , a little angel was sent to Earth to bring smiles to a lot of faces...

two-week old baby leslie.. grabe, ang tisay! haha.. ang cute no!! ang liit-liit ko...

...with the tender love and care of her parents, she grew up to be a smart little kid...

mommy and me with my bukol sa noo..(in fairness, ganda ni mommy no?..)

... with so much talents and wit...

nice fashion sense huh?.. hehe..

... and the potential of being the next supermodel!!! ( haha!! just look at the pic)
:
yeah, thanks mom, great hair.. grr.. and of course, my to-die-for yellow bathing suit...

Today, she just turned 23, not a supermodel, neither a singer, nor a teacher or any of her parents' frustrations for her , but continuously trying to bring smile to a lot of faces especially to those putting smile to hers.

Bottom line is ....

i just wanna show my baby pics!!!.. these are just few..some are too obscene to be posted.. hehe.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!

beyond tuna & manny pacquioa: a journal of many firsts & various discoveries

the wanderlust in me have always, always wanted to go to Mindanao, well, to finally claim that I've travelled the Philippines (thanks to upcym for bringing me to bohol!). finally, it was granted this year when I was given not only a chance to finally set foot in Gen. Santos City but also with a boyfriend to tag along and to provide lodging. well, this is not exactly the trip i always had in mind, definitely not the adventure-seeking barkada fun full of beach hoppings and nightlife. aside from the Tuna Festival, the real purpose of my visit is yes, to finally meet the Joses. i always believed that my slender frame has been housing a huge confidence (read: kapalmuks ako) but the idea of meeting my boyfriend's clan is really chickening the sh*t out of me. every girl put in my shoes would surely understand where i was coming from. a picture of a court hearing was getting more and more vivid in my dreams as the calendar approaches our departure date. "People of General Santos City vs. Leslie Tayao". yeah right, so much of a home court advantage here.

my inner circle, aware of the reason for my travel, was very supportive. my office buddies had been a great rah-rah team. two of my favorite girls, belle and katre, had been feeding me instructions on how to dress, to smile, to react, what are the things to say and the things to never ever (ever!)say. my mom, although nervous about this travel reminded me to be a good girl and asked Alfred to really take care of me. michelle, my dearest sister, was.. uhmm, well, overly excited is an understatement. and my boyfriend, when he's not busy bombarding me with abu sayyaf threats much to his satisfaction, had been cooperative when i did my little research of the things to expect from his family (how they are like, their likes and dislikes, etc.)... with all these packed in my luggage, i'd say i was ready to go and meet these people:

MOTHER
Plus factor: already met her at a dinner during her last trip to Manila. if my assumptions are right, we got along well.
Fear factor: As they always say, "never assume." and try imagining this - once in gensan, the air i would breath, the grounds i would walk on, the food i would eat are all part of her household. if the idea of your existence being in the hands of one person does not scare you, i dunno what does. and haller?! who never gets afraid of the mother?!?

FATHER
Plus factor: okay, the gameplan here is to use the same charm i used on the son.
Fear factor: if it does not work, i need Divine Intervention to find a contingency.

BROTHER
Plus factor: hopefully, the Divisoria trip with Alfred to search for the brother's wedding souvenir set for December 2006 was an investment for a good impression.
Fear factor: Siblings, they say, are the ones who do most of the interrogations.. nyay..

SISTER
Plus factor: she's in new york! yahoo...
Fear factor: actually, the thought of meeting her is the one giving me the coldest feet but at least i do not have to deal with her now.

RELATIVES/FRIENDS/NEIGHBORS
Plus factor: just smile, smile, smile. at least i will not stay in the same house with them.
Fear factor:They are usually the ones with more comments and can notice the littlest details.

DAY 1:Saturday, 02 September, 2 am
Our flight is at 8am. that would mean we have to leave the house by 6 am. that would mean we have to start fixing ourselves by 5 am. that would mean i have to wake up at 430 to prepare breakfast. the butterflies in my stomach are already in their full force and i swear they are driving me nuts. and so the anxiety of an empty stomach is definitely not an option. and so does the dizziness due to lack of sleep. e bakit ba kasi naman di ako makatulog!?!! arghh.. nakakaiyak na itoh...alfred, gumising ka dyan, uy!tulungan mo ako..

0730am
Alfred: "Okay, baby, this is the Ninoy Aquino International Airport!!"
Eh kung sapakin ko kaya itong lalaking ito?! At inassume pa ang trabaho ng pagiging tour guide ko.. Haler! ok, this is my first time to set foot in a plane but i have been to the airport no! FYI, im a tourism kiddo and travelling the ins and outs of the airport was part of my curriculum. 30 minutes from now, i'll be in that Boeing 737...waah!!! sooo excited! okay, time for some picture taking, plane watching and some airplane lessons with Alfred. His passion and knowledge of the airplanes are really impressive, i must say.



0933am
""Sa ilang sandali po lamang ang ating eroplano ay lalapag na sa paliparan ng Cebu."...
my first time in Cebu! woohoo! keber na kung hanggang airport lang naman ako. at hindi pa bumaba ng eroplano..at least if someone asks if i have been to Cebu, i can say :
LESLIE: yeah, i've been there once.. ( wink!)
SOMEONE (amazed): really?! have you seen the Magellan's Cross?
LESLIE: no e. that's far from where i was. i was not able to really roam around e. but i have travelled gensan. nice pala the place.. ( o di ba, change topic na agad..hehe..)

my first plane landing. I'd say, i wasn't really satisfied. well, contrary to the other passengers, Alfred included, i'm really hoping for a turbulence-filled ride but i know, Captain Pilot would not give me the satisfaction. before this flight, the highest place i've been above ground is EK's space shuttle or condor (whichever is higher). both really satisfied the adventure seeker in me to the point of almost vommiting my stomach out of my mouth. but not this flight. so disappointed..

12:10 pm
yellow gate. tall flowers at the sides. the sun directly above my head. boyfriend knocking at the gate. Mrs. Jose running towards the gate. gosh,THIS IS IT!!after a 30-minute taxi ride from the airport (fyi: may taxi sa gensan), im finally here in front of their home. "Lord help! Bigyan niyo po ako ng lakas." The last thing I would need is to faint right here, right now, on this ground. Cannot be, im wearing white.

02:45 pm
one of the longest lunch i had. and one of the most sumptuous..i'm so busog! who can say no to sugpo, crabs, inihaw na pusit, kinilaw na tuna, manggang hinog, macaroni salad and super laughter-filled kwentos. (hopefully this is not another case of death row wherein the person in line is given the priviledge of eating a feast-like meal.)

well, i finally met the family. tita geline, tito fredo, kuya jun, ate jing (the cousin), kuya raymond (ate jing's hubby). Tita, has been her usual funny, full of kwento, maasikaso mother. Kuya Jun, is the ever kulit, always smiling, easy-to-please brother. Ang kulit nito, promise! haha.. Tito Fredo, contary to my first impression of a tahimik dad, gave me the history of General Santos City when we were left with each other in the sala.

Short history: Alfred's lolo, Mr. Castor Jose, was a colleague of Gen. Santos himself and was part of the group from Batangas who travelled all the way to Gen. Santos during the war (of course, it wasn't called Gen Santos City then). According to Tito Fredo, the place was all trees and bushes and the group didn't know exactly how to make a living. because of this, some people went back to Luzon. but some, including Mr. Castor Jose, opted to stay. together, they cleared up the place, and formed a living (farm, fishing, etc..). and the rest is history. this decision of Mr. Jose got himself one of Gensan's street to his name and made Alfred part of the First Sons and Daughters of Gen Santos City.

DAY 2:Sunday, 03 September, 2 am
finally, i'll be able to sleep. the big day was over. The previous night was fun, another wonderful dinner. This time, it was more intimate with just me, Bhoyet (Alfred's nickname), Tito Fredo and Tita Geline. Another FYI, "tinola" in Gensan is not the same chicken in soup with papaya we are accustomed with in Luzon. it's fish in soup with cabbage and tomatoes. it tasted good and watching Alfred consumed it told me he really missed tinola, Gensan's version. Well, this was quite expected of him by his parents as he was the "tagalinis ng mesa". That is, he is the official taga-ubos ng ulam.

While watching Philippine Idol, i dug into the pile of photo albums. i swear, this family has a lot of pictures carefully put together by Tita Geline. And much to my satisfaction, I've seen so many pictures of Alfred when he was all skin and bones. nonetheless, he got himself a Mr. United Nations crown representing India!! (he would kill me for this..hehe)

We had more bonding just before bed time when Tita Geline gave me and Alfred the story behind each and every jewelry piece she has. Long after Alfred has gone to bed at the next room, ( yes, i'll be sleeping with his mom! ( nyay).. while Tito stayed at the far end room...nyay), Tita and I are still up until wee hours doing our own version of a girl talk.

0550 am
after just 3 hours of sleep, I am here in my first tricycle ride in Gensan with only Tita Geline. Alfred was extremely sick with a headache and a very bad stomach. maybe the tinola or the kinilaw did it. He still managed though to remind his mom to not take her usual Sunday stopovers aka chikahans with churchmates/kumares/neighbors.

0700 am
When i was younger, my mom always scolded me whenever i would not listen to the priest's sermon. so i always do. and for this service, i'd say im all ears but never understood a word. It's a Cebuano mass, for crying out loud! i have been well-Exposed to Bisaya friends and i really understood them whenever they would do the alien talk but when this priest left the pulpit, the people were laughing and i was like "what exactly happened?"

10:00 am
Tita Geline and I are two hard-headed girls. Despite Alfred's reminder to skip all the after-service chikas, we went home past 9am (Note: church is a 10-minute walk from their house). I met all the kumares, and we had our all-girls strolling on the way home carrying the bags of kakanin we bought outside the church. It was an almost nice morning if only Alfred is better. but he is still sick and can't get out of bed. This is the first time i've seen him like this. okay, second. first time was in Bohol and it was horrible. seeing him in pain is a scene i could not bear because i do not have any idea on how to help. hindi puwedeng masahihin ang ulo kasi slightest touch is masakit. di puwedeng pakainin kasi isusuka. at parang walang epekto ang gamot! Gosh, ano ba ang gagawin ko sa taong ito? good thing, his mother, who had seen him worse than this, was more composed than me. hope he gets better...

0700 pm
Another purpose of this trip is for Alfred to be present in his kuya's pamamanhikan. good thing the siesta we had did a little better for Bhoyet. not for me. my head is really starting to get heavy but i really don't wanna miss this event. so here we are, all packed in kuya raymond's adventure with food bought from KCC, one of Gensan's malls. (may mall pala sa gensan? haha.. and i really thought i was inside sm). off we go now to the house of ate chris, kuya jun's soon-to-be better-half.

0900 pm
a surprise discovery i had from this trip is the knowledge that my boyfriend has his own fans' club here in Gensan. There are ladies working for Kuya Jun who used to be so into Sam Milby but when they saw Alfred in one of his previous visits, dumped Sam Milby and went gaga over the "kaguwapo gyud" Kuya Bhoyet. As per Kuya Jun, they would always tell him, "Sige na Kuya Jun, paagtoha dinhi si Kuya Bhoyet pero dili iuban si Lisli." (Sige na Kuya Jun, papuntahin mo na dito si Kuya Boyet pero wag isama si Leslie.) haha.. nice one, girls..in fairness, kulang na lang ay banner. they were really so kilig just as Bhoyet entered the door. wow, lucky me. im actually with a hearthrob.. what can i say? it seems i'm not the only one mesmerized..

DAY 3: Monday, 04 September 2006 0200 pm
Today is a more relaxed day than the first two. Finally, I was able to sleep for at least more than 4 hours. actually, we all woke up a little late. Not much activities for today. everyone has hyped down from the pamamanhikan jitters. and yes, i have my own sigh of relief from the load i have been carrying since the day alfred bought our plane tickets in april. Thank God, at least I am luckier than Sarah Jessica Parker in the movie The Family Stone. her only consolation is she had hunky Luke Wilson with her..

i am comfortably alone here in the sala doing one of the things i dare not miss in this Gensan trip - watch Alfred's copy of Faces 2002!! this is so much fun and so nostalgic. I even saw myself in the video singing with the Himig Yakal, serenading the candidates. Their dogs, Sam (the more loving and friendly) and KC (finally, she is not barking at my every move) have been watching me as I enjoy every bit of the video.. i could not get any more proud!

1130 pm
We got to roam around the city. Tita Geline, Bhoyet and I went back to KCC to do some malling, went to the plaza and windowshop at the stalls, bought durian, walis tambo and orchids, and watched the fireworks. Bhoyet is finally completely okay and is back to his kulit mode! uy congratulations nga pala baby, may traffic light na pala kayo sa gensan.. haha..that we discovered on our way back to KCC for Alfred's traditon of a big-time grocery for his family..

we really need to sleep now. everything is already prepared for tomorrow. We'll be going to the beach!!! yahoo.. im so excited to get some tan!

DAY 4: Tuesday, 05 September 2006, whole day
Glan, Sarangani. BEACH day! so fun..



DAY 5: Wednesday, 06 September 2006, 0500 pm

im in the comfort of my own bed, in my own room, in my own apartment, reminiscing the 5 days i just had in that place so many miles away from me now.. i hate moments like this when i am feeling so melodramatic. i swear the cheesy part of me just sucks big time. im just so mushy now but i cant't help it. i hate goodbyes. just like this day which has its share of happy and heartbreaking moments. it gave me some time to savor my remaining moments in Gensan and at the same time, it will forever bear memories of unwanted riddance.

The 3 "I Will Miss You The Most" Awardees


SAM (aka Sam-Sam, MuyMuy)
He is sooo adorable.. before we've met, I always wonder what is it about this dog why Alfred is just so into him. Now I know. Grabe, sama agad siya nung unang dating ko palang sa bahay! at kung saan ang tsismis, andun siya!.. haha.. of course, we had our own bonding moments - early morning jogging, watching tv together and our photo shoot. ( in fairness, artista o!)


TITA GELINE
Well, I can only say all good things about her. She made it a point to never make me feel alienated. She really took great care of me. I just can't thank her enough, and Tito Fredo as well, for the duration of my stay, they didn't just offer me their house but their home.


BHOYET
the five days of being together 24/7 is over... aaww...
i learned here that despite being friends for years, there's still so much to know about Alfred. im just amazed of what i know now and so excited of the things i yet to discover. for me, this trip is like opening an old chest. and yes, inside i found a treasure...

viajo por avión (meet the joses edition)

I am not excited for this.. NO!not at all..

I AM NOT EXCITED.. I AM NOT EXCITED.. I AM NOT EXCITED!!!! waaahh..

ok, honestly , I am... and so nervous, too... but come what may,

here i come...

be humble and be happy

I was trying to clear up my outlook this morning when I came accross this email I received during the earlier days of my so-called professional life. So-called in a sense that there are still days I feel I'm just doing some role playing instead of the real tough big, big business world. I am actually not sure if that is good or otherwise.

anyway, just wanna share this one as it really had a hit on me. Not that I have so many things to brag about except perhaps for my sincere friendship, unconditional love, deep faith and an innocent desire for all good things for mankind. I am just another average Jane Doe even if I may appear to some as almost perfect too good to be true(haha). after reading this one, I surely stopped bragging about how great I am. ( i guess I have to do some rereading.. haha)

no, seriously, please read, digest and let's all try to make this place and this life a little better...

It can often be tempting to let other people know about your recent accomplishments. But resist the temptation to brag. You don't have to prove yourself to anyone or convince anyone of your worth as a human being. Bragging may alienate people or make them jealous. People often view bragging as an
insecure appeal for acceptance. When you try to prove yourself, you may find people avoiding you.

Instead, enjoy your own accomplishments and let them foster your self-confidence. By foregoing the need to brag or seek acceptance, you gain inner peace. When people find out about your accomplishments on their own, they will probably have a much higher opinion of you. Practice humility and find out how much better you feel.

why the world loves Superman

if i'll be asked to name my childhood hero, i'ts more likely that i'll give the name of my dad or Shaider, the pulis pangkalawakan, than mention Superman (of course, that would be omitting Allan Caidic from the options or Vince Hizon or anyone who has something to do with basketball as that would require a different story and i swear you won't be able to make me stop).

the latest Superman flick is actually my first ever encounter with the Man of Steel. so I only had a little idea of the vastness of his power and didn't know exactly what to expect. all i know is that he is "super" and the mere adjective told me his power is something one cannot underestimate. of course, i was able to see some of the boob tube portrayals in Smallville but that was a much younger Clark, still cocooning in his teenage dillemmas, discovering himself, not yet fully bloomed. and as much as i would want to concentrate on the story, Tom Welling's eyes were way too distracting! and I can't help but think of how he resembles a high school classmate one could mistake for a Greek god (who happened to be my ballroom partner in 3rd year PE. well, you could just imagine the envious stares..)

blame it to my Superman-crazy movie buddy who made me watch the film twice in a week. the second one was in Imax (to view the 3D effects) . the first one was 6 days earlier (just because we simply could not wait for the Imax version). oh and i would have to mention that he watched it 3 times that week (as far as I know) with home viewing of the earlier version VCDs in between.

office is no different. the men turned themselves into crazy little boys after watching it. you could really pinpoint who just watched the film as they would not stop talking about it. one even claimed he got people saying he looks like Superman despite the whole team slapping onto his face that Brandon Routh is almost twice the ruler taller and it's actually Nino Muhlach he looks like...

with the film as my Superman debut, I went to the Mall of Asia with no expectation whatsoever. as i entered, all i was wondering was how they would make the plot so exciting given the fact that we know so well that however the movie goes, Superman will prevail at the end. (What do you expect, Superman will die or something? c'mon, the hospital scene is way too much.. ok, i know, i'll stop there as i have no intention of giving a review here). but after watching the movie, not concentrating on all the superflaws you do not expect to see in a superfilm as this, i'd say i could not really blame the boys. Superman is a hero that really captures hearts especially with the security of his being "always around". well, they say that another reason why people fall for Superman is that he is said to be DC Comics' version of Jesus Christ. He is not of this world but he was sent to save.

truly, Superman, in every inch, is not difficult to fall in love with, even for a first-timer like me.. either in full glory with his red cape...

.. or simply being Clark (I was really hoping until the end that Lois Lane, by any chance, could perhaps see beyond Clark Kent as a mere officemate/old friend... you know, just like how it was for Herbert Bautista and Lea Salonga in Captain Barbel.)

well, just being Brandon Routh will not hurt at all...

not when he stares this way...

waaaahh!! hehe..

DYK( did you know )...

.. without any idea that 3 years after he will be landing the role, Brandon reportedly won a Hollywood Halloween costume contest in 2003 by dressing as Clark Kent with his shirt open to reveal the Superman �S� underneath? here's the pic..

little my world

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:


Highlight #1:

i was so excited to see 2 VCDs at home from videocity (rent courtesy of dearest hausm8 jp). one was Casanova and the other was Little Manhattan.. of the two, i enjoyed Little Manhattan more.. well, it was really not a good copy of Casanova so I was not able to enjoy Heath Ledger that much.



But seriously , i fell in love with Little Manhattan. it's a story of how and what love is in the eyes of a ten-year old..This Gabe kid (Josh Hutcherson) discovered love in a familiar face, Rosemary (Charlie Ray), a girl he has known since kinder. The movie is something everyone can so relate to.. It's like reading the book ABNKKBSNPLK by Bob Ong. The scenes brought me down memory lane exclamated by a scream "Hey, I did that when i was a kid!" Well, of course, except for the fact that it was in New York.. I especially like the part where he first heard his heart beating for the girl. The background was all "tsug-tsug-tsug" (just like the heartbeat, ok?). He was like "Where is that sound coming from (wondering about that unfamiliar, strange feeling, touching his chest, looking at it then looking up at Rosemary) and who is this amazing creature in front of me?" haha.. he was mesmerized and just found love as Rosemary stood in front of him.. well, of course, people our age know that that will just be the start of a crazy world of love for Gabe ( which he actually concluded at the end) and he will still meet a lot of girls. maybe, even wonder later if what he felt for Rosemary was in fact love or just merely infatuation. just like how we all deny today all the little crushes we had when we were younger. buth heck! can we just forget all the anti-idealism thoughts growing up has taught us about love and be like little kids just for once! and besides the movie is so honest ... and so cute.. and so is Gabe.. haha.. he just caught my heart just how that little kid in Jerry Maguire, the child of Renee Zellweger's character did.. see, he is so adorable..



Highlight #2:

Kraymer already moved out of the house. If he'd ask me, it's really the best thing to do.. Not that I do not want him there ha.. Kraymer is an amazing guy and so nice to talk with. we are both so mushy and so into heart-to-heart talks, late night conversations. But going home (i mean his Bulacan home coz our haus has always been a home to us) will really make him focus and plan life. God bless you,bro! anyway, one moving out, one coming in. Katre, another familiar soul from Grade 1 will be joining the gang and i'm so excited ever! i'm sure the house will be filled with so much laughter especially with how belle and i do balahura about her and her bf, Elson ( belle and i call him Elson John, tribute to the singer.. hahaha..) of course, Katre does not have any idea of these.. not yet.. haha.. I could just imagine Katre saying "sabog kayo sa akin! "

Highlight #3:

i have a new schedule which i am so excited about. i know i asked so many people to pray for this sched. and there you go, another answered prayer. thank you, thank you, thank you ...It will start July 1. so excited...

Highlight #4:

Who would have thought that it has been 3 months now since that special night in Tagaytay?! 3 months na ba? i thought we were only goaling for 3 weeks?! haha... funny part is, we were talking over the phone a day after the 3rd month.. i was like " Baby, 3 months na pala no?" and he went "oo nga no! Baby, happy 3rd and 1st!!" ... i swear i really had to stop for a few seconds and was like " well, what exactly does he mean by that?" so are we like 3rd or 1st?! i just assumed he was talking about the 3 months and 1 day but i am not really so sure and he laughed so hard about himself as well when he realized what he just said... o well, his intentions seems good naman.. so sige na nga, kilig na rin.. hehe..

hey baby, you made the 3 months seem so short and special... thanks for being so amazing! =)