#12daysto32 Day -18: A Day with the Chogs

And I'll never get tired posting for my birth month!  It's gonna end tomorrow, anyway!  I'm just overly elated that for this year, I had "somehow" celebrated with my chogs (My Adventures - Afternoon Delight) minus Jamie. Hey, we miss you in here!  

First stop was Ruth's place where we had a sumptuous lunch prepared by her very beautiful mom, Tita Be Lan.  Thank you, Tita for the oysters!  Yum!

Baby Naiah is the Prettiest <3

Second stop was at La Cebuana to visit Charmagne and her very pretty baby also.  We're looking forward for this baby to grow up and become an artista.  Then we will just be her alalays.  Hehe.....

Third stop was checking into Mary Joy's MJ H&M Boutique, Travel & Tours-Ozamiz and Mariel's Ameerah's Closet which I'll be hopefully blogging tomorrow.  So watch out for it!

Selfie at MJ's

Groufie at Mariel's

Fourth stop was meeting with our other high school batch mates at Greenwich.  

With Princess, Basyang, Quennie, and Tessa (batch Jicor's wify)

Fifth stop was a quick talk at Farronccino Cafe.

Sixth stop was of course at yours truly, Fascino by Maria Rosalia.  At last, it's not only me on my selfie mirror!  I have now company.  Hehe....

Seventh stop was at Cherry Ann's place where we also tasted her mom's cooking again.  Tita Lorna's macaroni salad was love! <3  We were also goofing around Doc Cherry's pamangkins who are all soooo adorable!

Eighth stop was to let Ruth experience Tuslob Buwa at The BBQ Station this time with Sandy and Queenie.  Oh, she was just like Kris Aquino with her skin, outfit, and all.  Thanks for the treat, Ruthie! :)

Then onto our ninth and last stop, Ruth's crib for a tequila night!  We had a very looooong talk about love, life, marriage, business, and career.  It was such an enriching myriad of convos for us with our varied background and experiences.  I learned a lot from them.  Though some are not yet applicable, I can make use of 'em "in my future endeavors".  Hehe.....  Just like high school when we talked about crushes, magazines, and the latest fad, we also talked about 'em like nothing has changed.  The only difference is that, we had matured a bit over time.  But the faces we wear, it's still the same 'coz we're forever young at heart!

Thank you so much chogs for making my birth month more special and complete!  I am now excited for our next shindig-Cherry Ann's birth month celebration!!!!!  Whoopy!  That's gonna be a BLAST!

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#12daysto32 Day -15: Friendship Overload

Friends come and go, they say.  I've had lots of fair share of this friendship thingy.  I can blend well and flexible thus earning me loads of circles of friends!  I can fit in to any group-jologs, brainy, meek, loud, poor, rich, simple, sosy, as in ANY!  Maybe I owe this to my Libran personality-one who wants world peace.  So I want to be at peace with everybody.  

Now if you've been following me, you may notice frequent exposures of these gals through our petty pictorials.  Hehehe.....  This just brought us together-our same wavelength as Kring2x had it!  

Celebrating two years of friendship with them and counting!  Missing Alvite though. :(

Twister Date at McDo

Siomai Love at Cotta

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#12daysto32 Day -13: Wayback / Throwback / Flashback Debut

Then I reached day negative 13 of my #12daysto32 countdown!  Pagbigyan nyo na ang lola nyo #minsanlangto!  It's still my birth month, y' know.  Hehe..... So for today, I'll be sharing to you, my dear readers a super #waybackwednesday, mega #throwbackthursday, and over #flashbackfriday post!  Fourteen years ago, I celebrated my 18th birthday this same last Saturday of October.  So I went digging up some old photos of this momentous event of my life!

The gown I wore was by Ate Vangie Arellano of Jejeelyn's.  She has been doing my gowns since I was little for the sagalas I joined during Flores de Mayo.  Hair and make-up was by Aisa, mom's favorite artist whose beauty parlor I grew up in playing with his blower, combs, and pedi/mani paraphernalia.  Bouquet of flowers was by Kuya Boots, my favorite cuzzy florist.

My honorable members of the cotillion de honor.  The lords are Tootsie, Don2x, Apollo, Sandy, Ian, Kirk, Al Roy, Arthur, and Daryl.  The ladies are Vian, Rio, Hermesa, Ep2x, Jamie, Ruth, Bunny, Matoy, and Cherry Ann.  The royal dance was choreographed by Mrs. Connie Rada, a renowned Ozamiznon choreographer of all time.

Of course I also have to mention my "dashing" escort (as dubbed by my host, Mr. Federico Araniego who was beginning his career as an event coordinator and host at that time), Architect Earl Lagahid.

Blowing my 18 candles signified a big milestone in my life.  It signaled the start of womanhood and setting childish ways aside.  But as I turned 32 days ago, I realized that age is only a number 'coz I still have that child in me (as always).  My pretty cake is by Uncle Yayang of Mom's Sweet Delight who also happens to be my ninong.  

Then what's a debut without surprises?  These besties just got me under their skin!  Imagine that they stole my ever beloved antique comb just for this?  I was about not to go to my belated birthday celebration just to look for my comb all over my room!  But I loved it so when I got to know how much these girls know me.  It was just so overwhelming especially with the mangga and uyap from outside Gaizano.  Hehe.....

  

And my sisters will kill me for this!  Just take a look at Ep2x on the first pic and Laling on the second one.  Hehe.....Just some photo bloopers of my big day.  Without my family, I would not had a bongga 18th birthday celebration.  Thank you so much, Papa and Mama for the gift of life from day zero onwards! :)

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#12daysto32 Day -5: Hearty Lunch at the Mooon

It was only last night when I had written this.  It was only last night when I became more determined to keep my only hope.  But today, something unexpected came up.  From out of the blue, my friend Pen2x just texted me to have lunch with her.  It was just a casual catch-up-with-a-girl-friend kind of lunch until surprisingly, Pen2x asked me about the matter of the heart.

As a secretive person, I don't usually open up to friends with what's inside my heart.  If possible, I'd like to keep the matter of my heart all by myself.  (That's why I gave birth to this blog.  So I could just write all my heart out without reservations!)  But with Pen, I couldn't hide a thing from her with the kind of prangka questions she threw at me.  It was like being on a hot seat with Boy Abunda where you can just answer back and admit some feelings.  Then she gave me what she quoted as "unsolicited advice".  It only took a few minutes for her to nail it!  She directly shot the target which made me into thinking, up and awake until 2 AM!

Definitely, everything she said were all so true.  By now, I have to admit that I've been living in illusion.  Last summer, I had written this - my way of saying goodbye.  But I didn't do it completely for I still held on to the fantasy.  I think it's about time that I must reiterate my way of saying goodbye.  On contrary to what Pen said, I couldn't, couldn't confront him for a closure.  As what Steph said in Maybe This Time, "Sometimes not having closure is the closure!".  I couldn't demand that from him so I'll just have it by myself.  I just hope that this time, it will work out.

After years of keeping him in my heart, again I say that I'm now letting him go.  This is for the better, this is for my growth.  Not being teary-eyed while writing this I think, is a good sign unlike before.  Maybe this time, I'll be starting over again.  Ok, fine!  So be it!  If this is God's will, then I'm heeding it.  Though I am not heeding heartily, I'll just let it be.  For what else can I do?  He is God and I am not.  It just confuses me why He even gives us freewill if He still controls our fate?  He intervenes a lot, as in a lot!  With my career and with this, it just sucks!  Ooops, sorry.  I think I might just stop this before I sin any further.  Sorry, Lord but I guess people need someone/something to blame for the misfortune, the misery, and the misadventure they have......

Anyway, thanks Pen at nauntog na rin ako!  You are heaven-sent for me to wake up to my senses!  

         

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#12daysto32 Day -4: Matter of the Heart

Last year I promised not to be sentimental on my birthday for I'm already too old for that!  Last year I also promised that that would be my last birthday to celebrate alone.  But another year had passed and I am still "alone".  Quote and quote, you know what that means.  So for this year, I'm trying hard to be happy for me not to feel alone.  But regardless of the flash flood of birthday greetings, regardless of the abundance, regardless of the gifts received, and regardless of the people who love me, I still feel alone. 

Then my decision on not throwing a big party is quite good.  For when the lights are off and when the party's over, I will still realize that I am indeed alone.  And for tonight that the tides are already down and I have some downtime to reflect, I am sharing to you the matter of the heart.  But this is not a desperate-mode post.  I thought I might give you a disclaimer first for I already developed a habit on that.  On contrary, this is a post of keeping the faith and in tightening my belt on what really is to come. 

Again, I'm reminded of what God intends me to be.  Though there are still complaints and grumbles, I am still under process.  I can't say that I had accepted this fully.  It is still hard, you know.  Still pitiful as I can say.  But as of the moment, I am clinging to only one hope that spices up my life every now and then.  I don't know but God is just a joker god for allowing this to happen to me!  At least I have this to hold on to.  Though it might just be an illusion, at least I am having something to live for.

Well, the story still continues.  Who would've thought and who would've guessed?  The rest is still unwritten.....

Image from Pinterest

  Being able to wait is a sign of true love and patience. Anyone can say "I love you", but not everyone can wait and prove that it's true!

- Anonymous

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#12daysto32 Day -1: A Birthday Celebration at La Salle

And I reached Day -1 of my #12daysto32 countdown!  Well, this is just me.  Blame it to the "feeling celebrity" syndrome I have!  Always having a month-long birthday celebration, you know.  So for today, I celebrated with my LSU family!

Thank you so much to Dr. Jovannie Castillo for leading the prayer!  Lol!

And to Engr. Aldrich Caballo for taking the photos!  Now, blame this to Sir Aldrich.  Hehehe.....

And super thank you to Papa, Ep2x, Jez, Don2x, and Nanay Esther for preparing the food! :)  

Last but not least, thank you to all of you, my colleagues for another fun-filled birthday celebration!  'Till next time!!! :)

Related Post:

Celebrating My Birthmonth with the LSU MatSci Department

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#12daysto32 Day 0: A Year Older and Wiser

And, this is it!  This is the day that the Lord hath made!  Here are only a few of the birthday greetings I received throughout my day

from students,

Oohh, ako ang pinaka-una na ni greet! 
Niabot nasad ka ma sa imuang adlaw na nataw-han.
Ma, i know dili kaayu ko buutan na pagka-anak pero permi gihapon ko nimo genasabot. Eventhough, atik2x rani but I still cherish you as my true mother. Stay humble, nice, and pretty always ma. I hope that all your dreams in your life will come true. Wish you all the best and more candles to blow. Ma, ayaw gyd biya pag-usab hapt?  
If you want ears to talk to, naa rako dire. If you want shoulders to lend on, naa rasad ko diare. Ug naay mangaway nimo, igna lang ko kay ako na sila awayun sad 
Happy Birthday Mama
- Rudylou Macalisang

Just wanted to greet a BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Mam Mary Rosalie T. Olandesca na she's 32 yet still SINGLE pa. Wahahaha! PEACE! xD

Btw, thanks kaayo mam for being there for supporting via kasaba sa akoa kay di mahuman ang conclusion or walay conclusion yet dako nako ug score karon kesa sa sauna nga gamay ra... Wahahaha! LIBRE mam karong FRIDAY! WohoooooooooO! :)) Kani lang akong gamiton mam kay BLOGGER man ka!  Hihihi PEACE!

Happy 32 Ma'am. 

- John Dave Balingit

Happy 32nd birthday ENGR.
- Oxygen Bolotaolo

from colleagues,

Ms. Mary Rosalie T. Olandesca, mogreet ko now with picture. Hehehe happy birthday ulit maam. Nangita pa man gud kog pic natong duha maam. Hehehe special ni kay naa pa si maam Rhiza Mae Maghinay Damasin. Hehehe
-Joemari Gapol

from VIPs of JCI,

from BFFs,

Happy birthday dearest Osang... Thru thick and thin ,in sickness and in health ,till death do us part...i will always love u and cherish you as my best of best friend chog Osang... Enjoy your 32nd birthday... Love u chog.. Mwah...
- Dr. Cherry Anne Tuba

Happiest Birthday B! Wishing u all the best in life "lovelife", good health, happiness always & more laags to come... i love you!... Karn na noon ta wala nag natcon na dool ra!
- Marie Celle Mosqueda

and from kapamilyas!

Happy birthday engineer!!;))pangasawa nah para mosunod nami hahahaha
- Rio

Happy happy bday sa amoang pinakadabest ate in town, tnx for everything te. Im so proud of u. Godbless u always,love you mwah
- Ep2x

Happy birthday te. Wishing you joy and happiness today and always.
PS: i love you..

With love
Laling  

I couldn't post all greetings here via IG, FB (having a total of 144 greetings), Viber, WhatsApp, texts, and calls.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for all the greetings, pips!

I also had two cakes for the day!  One from my JCI-Ozamiz Red Rose family

Wow!!! What a wonderful surprise! Thank you so much to my ever beautiful Red Roses! Super thank you for coming over super early. I love you and I miss you, all. Mwahugz

and another one from my family.

Wow!!! A Maltesers and KitKat laboratory apparatus cake! Thank you so much ga April and June Ann!!!! Mwahugz 

Plus, there's also a birthday gift pahabol received today!

Thank you, Ate Mai and Clarkson! :)

To start the day, we attended church and had breakfast at Chowking.

Then off we went outing for a fun-filled day! Watch out for my special post on this so stay tuned.

Filled with so much love and happiness! Thank you so much, Papa God for the gift of life, love, family, and friends! Thank you for all the blessings and for lending me another year of my life. Thank you for my Papa and Mama who had raised me well and for my sisters April and June Ann for always supporting me. Thanks for giving me aunties, uncles, and cousins who love me dearly. And thank you for all the friends and students you had made me meet along the way. All of these people are my strength to carry on my everyday.

A year older and wiser, that's what I am! Thank you for always and always making my path straight.

To everybody who had remembered and greeted me on this very special day, thank you so much! I still want to reply to each and every greeting but sleepiness strikes already. I still have to be early for school tomorrow. Thank you so so much to each and every one of you! I promise to get back to you tomorrow!

Goodnight sweet cheeks, goodnight sleepy head,
Sweet dreams, sleep tight,
Until the morning light.

Related Posts:

Too Old To Be Sentimental About The Passing Of A Year

Another Birthday Celebration: Feeling Artista! ;>

Better @ 30: An After-Party Post!

The Fourth Cake

29 Years and Counting

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