Monday, July 16, 2007

I miss my friends

I know I have Jojie and I'm really happy with him (I actually have an unfinished blog post about how happy I am with my marriage). We talk all the time and I am able to tell him anything and everything. I am also able to tell him if I get hurt with something he does or if I'm irritated with him. But I still miss my friends.

I miss Candice, one of my closest friends and my maid of honor. She's taking up her residency in California right now and although we email and chat once in a while, I miss her terribly. Pag may problema ako, siya pa rin lang yung nasasabihan ko. Kakatawa nga kasi pag nagkikita kami sa chat at napapakuwento ako, I almost always end up crying.

I miss Kat, my "oldest" friend (we've been friends since grade school). She and her husband Dex migrated to the UK. I know she's very happy but the selfish part of me wanted her to stay. Alam mo yun, yung hindi naman kayo nagkikita pag andito kayong dalawa kasi super busy kayo pareho but you realize that you miss your friend when she's gone.

I miss Emily, also one of my closest from college. Emily and Candice were both my barkada in college. Ems is now in France, married to Tony and taking care of their little boy, the super duper gwapo Angelo.

I miss Michelle, my best friend in high school. Jojie and I met through her (siya kasi yung crush talaga ni Jojie). We kinda just... drifted apart and I feel sad and guilty, too, because I didn't make more effort to sustain our friendship.

I miss Jonathan, my guy best friend. Yeah, anjan pa rin siya sa tabi-tabi but we seldom talk to each other now unlike before when we talked almost everyday and until midnight or even until the wee hours of the morning.

I miss Dowa, my wedding-theme buddy, my partner in coordination, my W@Wie sister. She's in Malaysia right now and I know that she's really happy there, especially with Iaree.

I miss Kat-Kat, my closest friend in AC. I miss talking to her about anything and everything.
But then, I have still some of my old friends and several new friends now.

I have Abie, my W@Wie sister, my partner in coordination, my Mang Boy-buddy, my Divi-friend, my super-kasundo-in-everything-can-talk-about-anything friend.

I have Maye who used to be my super malditang kapatid but with whom I've grown closer since I got married (read: left the house). Hehehe!

I have my team... Mitch, Marielle, Au, Mac... whom I spend so much time with that from mere teammates, we've grown to be friends.

I have Tisha, my event stylist for my wedding and still my favorite event stylist in the world! She and I can talk about so many stuff... weddings, married life, the future, politics, movies, other people... mwehehehe! chismisan pala yung ginagawa!

I have Mama na forever naman talagang anjan. Love you, Mama! Mwah!

I guess, life really is this way. You gain friends, you lose friends. People come and go. But everyone I meet leaves an imprint in my life and touches me in a way only that person can.

:)

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W@W Party 2007

During Tita Jet Versoza's (of Josiah's) brithday party last Tuesday in Josiah's UN, I was asked by Benz to coordinate this year's Weddings at Work's Christmas Party. Tentative date is 3rd week of November in Fernbrooks. At least now, hindi na siguro ako ganun mase-stress. For one, I already know what to expect. Last year's party caught our team off guard. Super daming suppliers! Mas marami pa sa W@Wies! We didn't expect that. Plus daming prizes na dumating OTD so kagulo sa pag-register ng prizes. Isa pa, last year, I kinda felt that I had to prove our team's worth. During that time, we have been in business for just a year and a half and we bagged one of the top ten wedding suppliers position. Since hindi naman talaga kami kilala and I don't naman din talaga socialize with so many suppliers AND I heard that other suppliers were asking around who we were and kung magaling daw ba kami, parang feeling ko I needed to prove that we could handle the event. Lastly, given the small number of weddings I have accepted for this year, I do not honestly think (though hoping, of course) that we'll make it to the Top 10 this year so that will be super less stress.

After last year's party, Ronald of Balay said that we did a good job and we have to do it once lang naman so okay na kami. According din to Tisha, John said naman that that was the first time that Benz was not as stressed. Sana totoo yun! Hahaha! So I think all in all, it was an okay job although super dami ko pa gustong ayusin.

Kanina, Tisha and I were texting and we were already thinking of the theme for the party. Mej hindi naman advanced di ba? Hahaha! Looking forward to this year's party!

:)

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A really good week...

Remember my "Good morning!" post? That good morning stretched to a good week!

Teng, my June 29 bride, texted me last also later that day. Her message went:

"Hi Clarice. Pauwi na ko NY bukas. I juts want to thank your crew again, most especially you for all your help sa wedding namin ni Charles. Parang di pa sapat yung thank you and fee to let you know how grateful we are to you. I hope mas maging successful pa kayo. We'll miss you. God bless and ingat palagi.... Mwuah!"

Then last Friday, on my way to my car, our building guard approached me and gave me a card which arrived via mail. It was a card from Sarah and Lesley, our May 26 couple. This was the card they sent.



Aaaaaw! Aren't they sweet?!

For some reason, everytime I even consider quitting coordination, something like this happens... a former bride texts or emails to thank us and I realize how much I really enjoy this job.

Before I end, just want to share this email I got from Tin (our July 1, 2006 bride). Last January, during the time I was so stressed, Concon texted me and told me that I should continue with coordination then Tin emailed me this super duper heartwarming letter.

=0=0=

Hi Clarice!

This morning, I thought of you. You see, one of my college friends got married on January 12 and last night we met up and talked about our weddings (masaya pala yun! :)).

She shared that her make-up session (also with Madge) ended a little later than scheduled, because she had to stand up and fix a few things every now and then. She was still awake around 1030pm the night before her wedding day texting people and reminding them. She got goosebumps all over the morning of her wedding day because she was too nervous. They forgot to arrange for packed lunch for the suppliers and everyone else in the hotel until a day before. She walked too fast down the aisle. The church boy was all over their pictures simply because they didn't know what to do and he had to tell them pa. At marami pang glitches. I admire her mom though for pulling it off beautifully pa din.

And then I realized, I didn't have the same problems as hers. I was so relaxed and light hearted a week before the wedding, moreso on the day itself (that is until I was ready to walk down the aisle hahahha). Mhel said, it's because I knew we were alright with you around. :) He was right.

So there. I am sending this just to let you know how glad and grateful we are that you and your team played a big part in making our wedding very memorable. Thank you for giving us your best and more. We will never ever regret having you. :)

hugs,

Khristine

ps. madrama ba? naiiyak nga ako oh, promise! :) hehehe


=0=0=

I oh so love love my brides!

:)

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Good morning! :)

I woke up this morning with a slightly-higher-than-last-night's fever. My energy level was so low and I know I shouldn't go to work or else baka lalo pa lumala. I extended my hand to serach for my phone (a thing I do every morning). I had one unread text message. It said:

"Gd am. Tita Meli to, mom ni Pam. Remember Mla Pen? Nag-attend ako wedding. Compare ko kay Pam. Wala sa 1/4 ang ganda.... Maganda talaga service niyo.... Ngayon pa lang ako magpapa-thank you sa iyo. Isa ka sa nagpaganda ng kasal ng anak ko. God bless."

It was so heartwarming to know how much Tita appreciated the work we did. It made my day.

:)

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Monday, July 09, 2007

a groom's speech

Weddings are all about love. Guests see and feel the love between the bride and groom. After all, that's the reason for the whole celebration.

In Ryan and Juli's wedding, I was reminded again that the love we feel and see during weddings is not just that between the bride and groom. In Ryan's speech, he thanked Juli's parents for allowing him to marry her. He promised Juli to love her and to take care of her in this lifetime and in the next ones. He thanked his Dad for being there for him. He told him that if he, Ryan, does half as good a job as his dad did, he would know that he succeeded. He told the guests that although his biological mother wasn't there, he was sure that she would approve of the decision he made to marry Juli. Lastly (I put this last because I was most touched by this part), he thanked his stepmother whom he simply called "Mom". He thanked her for coming into their lives, for bringing stability, and for making his dad happy.


Weddings are really about love and not just between the bride and groom.

:)

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Thursday, July 05, 2007

S

Got home a couple of hours ago from a "presentation" and although Jojie thinks the two hours we spent there were wasted, I don't.

One of my clients was looking into applying for an Ortigas hotel's membership to save on their hotel preps. I called the hotel last Sunday and asked for info about their hotel membership. I was told that the sales office was closed so someone will just call me the following day. Monday passed but I didn't get a call. Tuesday afternoon I called the hotel again. Mejo mainit ulo ko kasi hindi pa dumadating yung order ko from McDo so I was kinda mataray. (Few clients know how mataray I can get. My friends knows it very well. :)) I demanded to know about their membership. After all, how difficult can that be, right? I was told by the customer service girl I was talking to that she doesn't have the authority to discuss the membership with me so I really needed to wait. She let it slip though that they don't have an annual membership but they have time-sharing instead for 30 years. She also let it slip that the cost is around P400,000.00. I lost my interest and told her that no one needs to call me anymore.

After an hour, someone from the said hotel called and offered me a dinner buffet for two at their hotel for tonight. I asked if the invitation was because I'm a coordinator or because of the inquiry I made. He said that I was being invited because of being a coordinator. I asked again and he replied positively that it was because of my job. Since I get calls like this all the time, I didn't anymore think about it. I just said that if I had time, I will drop by.

Since my meeting with Alex Franco at 7pm was cancelled, I had time. I asked Jojie to accompany me, called my contact, and confirmed my attendance.

When we got to the hotel, we were shown to our table. The buffet selection was very simple but nonetheless good. The staff were very courteous. After dinner, we were told that someone was going to show us around the hotel. Again, since this is usually part of the whole thing, it was no biggie so we went with her. The girl, S, was very nice. She was very friendly and had a bubbly personality. We went to a function room and tsadan! I realized that this was like one of the Family First presentations! Jojie had a million reports to finish so mejo tinignan niya ako kasi nga sayang oras. I told him that at least we got free dinner. He jokingly replied that he would have gladly treated me to dinner if he only had known. But because S was very nice, we listened to her presentation. The presentation, ergo the invitation, was indeed about the timesharing. She proceeded to explain the concept to us but since I'm very much familiar with the concept, we told her that she need not explain everything. We actually had a very good time with her. We joked and we laughed. We were finished with the presentation in no time but she said that she needed to talk to us some more or else her boss will scold her for not being able to explain timesharing well. Since Jojie and I were not really interested, we just continued to joke with her. Mangbabara si Jojie tapos matatawa lang kami ni S. Or basta tawa-tawa lang kaming tatlo.

Jojie and I learned that S was just new and in her two weeks working for the company, she has not yet closed a single transaction. We could see that she really hoped that we would buy. We asked her to tell us the price but she said she couldn't; it was her boss who had to present the payment terms. After discussing all we could discuss, we asked her to call her boss. Her boss, E, was also very nice. We could see that he was a good salesman whereas S, though very nice, really needed more sales pointers. The price of the timesharing was almost Php500,000.00 with the usual discounts if we book tonight or if we pay in cash. With all the package inclusions, the price was actually okay but since we're not looking into having a timeshared hotel room right now, buying was out of the question. E left us and when S came back, I had to tell her that we were not buying. She tried to explain to us and to convince us some more but since I am very familiar with the hotel (stayed there a couple of times), I told her some kinks in their sales pitch (like the hotel was definitely not a 5 star hotel). She accepted defeat then she told us, "Naiiyak naman ako" and promptly cried in front of us. Mejo nag-panic naman kami. We were leaving the room na and she went with us but she went straight to the ladies room. I caught up with her and talked to her. When I told her I am a therapist, she cried even more. She talked and I listened. Naawa naman ako sa kanya kasi I could feel how pressured she was. Being new and having closed no accounts yet, she felt hopeless. I left when she seemed better. Pati si Jojie naawa sa kanya and he admitted din that he had a good time kahit papano dahil tawa lang kami ng tawa. :)

We went home feeling really sad for her but knowing that eventually she would be able to close a transaction. Ang hirap lang ng super pressured to make a sale para kumita. Pero ganun ata talaga di ba? The older we get, the more pressured we are to earn money. And again, I felt so blessed to have Jojie and to have my family and to have my small business.

To S, really enjoyed our chat. Good luck on your job! I know that eventually you'll be able to close an account. *hugs*

:-


P.S. Oh, and to add to my guilt feelings even more, because of listening to the presentation we get 7 nights, 8 days stay free in Bali, Indonesia. Since Jojie and I are planning to go to Kuala Lumpur, we can go to Bali too! P1,000 plus lang ticket from KL to Bali eh. Am I bad for feeling happy?

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Transformers

Since I'm not like Pazette, I don't I'll be able to do justice to do the movie if I write about it so I'lll just say this...

ANG GANDA, GANDA, GANDA, GANDA, GANDA, GANDA, GANDA, GANDA, GANDA, GANDA, GANDA, GANDA, GANDA, GANDA, GANDA NG TRANSFORMERS!!!

For someone who was not a fan and who was not able to watch a single epidose of the cartoon series, I really enjoyed watching the movie. The effects were unbelievable! Although there were many too-close shots (a usual criticism of Michael Bay films, I learned), it was one of the best sci-fi films I've seen. Jojie, who is a super fan, was so happy with the film, too. He kept on saying "Ang ganda-ganda!" during the movie. Watch it!

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