First Step!

I told myself I won't let this week past without making at least one booking for my wedding. I've been making phone calls to churches inquiring about the requirements, the cost and the procedure. All these pieces of information, I diligently write in a notebook.

Yesterday, I dragged D to accompany me for a look see at a couple of churches. Our plan was to meet at around 2:30pm so we would have enough time to check out 2 churches. It turns out his family called long distance and they had quite a lengthy phone call. After all, they are excited too with the news of our nuptials. So by the time he finally showed up at 3:45 pm, I gave myself an ulcer. My mind went into panic mode as per my calculations, we won't make it to either of the churches. The traffic situation being horrendous in our beloved nation.

We get to Villa San Miguel (The Archbishop's Palace) just before 4:30pm. We had to wait a few minutes for the concerned person to attend to our inquiries. Actually, this visit was just to get an idea of the area. Frankly I wasn't too keen on it knowing that they don't provide a priest to officiate at the ceremony. It was already 5:20pm when we got to our second choice. We just took a chance to see if they were still open. And thankfully, they were. So it is all systems go for May 15, 2008 10 AM at the San Lorenzo Ruiz chapel, Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace. The date when the most eligible bachelor in Q.C weds the most eligible bachelorette in M.C! he he he (crazy joke D came up with!)

Woohooo!!!

I signed up for PPP

I've heard/read all the buzz about Payperpost from several bloggers. They were raving how easy it was and how much they have earned writing sponsored posts. You simply write reviews/opinions about different items and products on your blog, wait a few days for approval. Once it is confirmed, you get paid through Paypal. The payment scheme facility though kept me away. But once things eased up, I immediately signed up for PPP.

To distract my mind from the wedding arrangements, I have been spending a few minutes each day to familiarize myself with the mechanics involved in PayperPost. I have been reading and learning how to submit opportunities, checking out the different tools available that will help boost the traffic rankings of my blog. As well as browsing other bloggers site to see previews of sponsored posts. PPP's website is easy to navigate. It contains all the relevant information which new posties would find useful. Besides I'm a fast learner so I am confident I will be successful. I was delighted to learn this morning that my blog finally got approved. Yay. Now, I'm excited! I look forward to writing reviews and getting paid for it. I intend to save my earnings so I can buy household items for D's place. Ooops I meant our place.

Alert: major emotional roller coaster post ahead

In some previous post I mentioned my way of dealing with stressful situations is to cry. Well true to form, I had a nervous breakdown, the other night. Ok so it was more like the wee hours of the morning. After my nightly phone call to D, I sat on a small stool in my sister's office. We started discussing my wedding plans and my married life thereafter.

The thing is I have no problems at all with D. I have known since the very beginning what he could offer, what to expect or not to expect from him. I had my doubts if *I* could adapt to his lifestyle and kept changing the topic whenever he mentioned the M word. Yet as the months went by, I was willing to compromise and in the process I conditioned myself. Now I'm confident I am ready to face the task ahead. I credit it largely to D's laissez faire attitude, his optimistic outlook on life and his genuinely nurturing ways. Sa Tagalog, ang gaan gaan ng pakiramdam ko pag kasama ko si D.

But it has been very difficult for me to explain to my family my desire to settle down. The family who has raised me for 39 years. The family that has blessed me with material and emotional support unconditionally. The family who is now supporting me in full force. The family that overwhelms me in their need to make my transition into married life as comfortable as possible.

I know that it is all my fault. In my usual protectively guarded style about my romantic involvements, I don't tell them about D's lifestyle. I wanted to shield my family from the disappointment. I didn't want them to expect too much from D. I wanted D to feel welcome by my family. Of course they have welcomed him with open arms. For me to open up to my family was pretty daunting and vice versa. I understand my family's concerns considering the fact that I don't openly discuss any aspects of my relationship with D. So I was emotionally troubled yet kept up a brave front in view of all the arrangements I had (have) to deal with.

The tears started to roll down my cheeks when I told my sister, everything. I started sobbing uncontrollably. I let it all out. My sister who believe me has her plate totally full and overflowing with a million things bore the full brunt of my emotional meltdown. Really embarrassing yet very cathartic for me. A major stress reliever. I aired my concerns, my fears, my excitement, my happiness. So after that tearful episode, things have toned down quite a bit. I don't let the interrogation sessions bother me anymore. I feel much better. I sleep better. I've regained my appetite. I panic less. I smile more. I just need to take one baby step at a time and relax more. I should probably spend less time reading http://www.kasal.com and actually go out and make the darn bookings already! Teehee =)

Linky love chain

I got snared in this love chain by Girlie.The rules are simple - When you get tagged ... you have to add your name next to people who had done the tag and and let the list grow!

Limadang.com

RamblingMoo.com

blogginginmypyjamas

StylewithPassion

Chinneeq

Dora-zooropazoo

Babyshern

HiPnCooLMoMMa

Daphne Laura

Let’s keep the list growing, so more and more people will discover our blogs. I'm tagging:

Wil

Kayni

Denden

Vanessa

Em Dy

Formality's sake

D and I have been talking about marriage on and off the past few months. But I haven't had the chance to officially tell my parents about our plans. They aren't the type of parents who would question me openly about the state of my relationships. I guess they trust me enough to do the right thing so I've never discussed any of my romantic relationships with them. Well yesterday, we finally had the courage to formally announce our engagement/plans to settle down.

The night before, D and I rehearsed a number of scenarios on how to introduce the topic over lunch. Some were downright funny, others were silly, most were serious. I stressed myself out, kept tossing and turning in bed which prevented me from getting a good night sleep. I woke up early (for me anyway) barely ate my breakfast, took a quick shower then went to hear the 11 AM Sunday mass at the Edsa Shrine with my parents and D. I couldn't concentrate and broke out in a cold sweat (yes I know the church is air conditioned but still you know what I mean), several times.

My brilliant idea was to tell my parents during lunch at Teriyaki Boy. You know during that lull when we wait for our orders to arrive. But we couldn't do it. Blah. Ha ha ha! We ordered, the food came in rapid succession. We ate, glanced at each other sheepishly, ate some more (well I barely touched my food, preferring instead to drown myself with iced tea) talked about everything under the sun except the main issue at hand! My hands were literally shaking and my stomach was in knots. I was a nervous wreak. Occasionally, D and I would look at each other, smile and secretly hoped the other one would finally blurt it out to end our misery.

After the waiter cleared our table of our plates, I took a big gulp of my iced tea, took a very deep breath, looked my mother straight in the eyes and finally just blurted it out. "Ah Ma, Dad we have something to announce. We are planning to get married na next year!" *Big smile* My parents had this blank look on their face like my statement didn't register. D quickly said something to support my announcement. To say they were surprised is an understatement but they welcomed the good news with glee. My father gave the thumbs up sign. My mother was in shock and tried desperately not to cry as we were in a public place. Later that night, my parents kept saying that the announcement was slowly sinking in like some sort of delayed reaction. But the feedback has been mostly positive. I guess it has to do with the fact they like D immensely for he has always accorded them the respect they deserve.

After that announcement, I felt tremendous relief like a huge burden was taken off my chest. The interrogation part though started in the car and went on high alert when we got home. It was further compounded when I went online to read websites on the numerous requirements even for a simple Church wedding. D keeps telling me to relax and not stress myself out he will help me with everything but I can't really help it, I'm a worry wart, remember?

But overall, my parents are very enthusiastic, quite excited and have given me their full support. My beloved sister is the only one who dares to ask the hard nosed questions. She raises the issues I've been desperately trying to sweep under the rug, so to speak. She does have very valid concerns. I truly understand where she is coming from. I like to believe she merely means well and in due time I hope she would eventually ease up on me and D. But don't get me wrong, she is also very supportive. She serves as my shock absorber, my anchor and my rock. I know I can depend on her for anything, anytime, anywhere, forever!

I am currently a ball filled with mixed emotions. I'm ready, happy, confident, panic stricken, apprehensive and fearful yet I've never been more sure about finally finding the person I will grow old with. D has been such a wonderful supportive presence in my life and I couldn't ask for more! He was the one who pointed out that yesterday, November 11 was our 5th month anniversary. I was so stressed and freaked out I totally forgot about it.

Now excuse me as I finally have some private alone time so I can have a good cry over this whole thing. You know just to let it all sink in, cry away my worries, my fears and of course some happy tears as well.

Travel Recollections

The last time I was in France was about 10 years ago. Yes it has been that long! My sister was a bridesmaid at the wedding of her friend somewhere in the south of France. We managed to arrange our schedule to meet up in Paris after the wedding so we could have a grand vacation. We stayed at the apartment of another friend of my sister in Paris which was located in the Bastille district of the French capital. But if you don't know anyone in Paris, this website listing the different Paris hotels will surely come in handy.





We visited all the famous tourist spots like The Eiffel Tower, The Sacre Coeur Basilica, The Notre Dame Cathedral. We even patiently waited in line to enter the Louvre Museum. This was way before the book by Dan Brown "The Da Vinci Code" and the movie for that matter was released. My favorite tourist activity in Paris is to take the scenic Seine River cruise and simply soak in the lovely ambiance of Parisian life. Just like the boat which Celine and Jesse took in the movie "Before Sunset".

The great thing about traveling in Europe is that everything is connected by a very efficient rail transportation system . So you can basically just avail of an Eurail pass, hop on a train to visit the different cities within France. For your accommodations, simply book online on this website which offers a wide variety of hotels located anywhere in France.







For example you can head to Nice (pronounced "Niece" not "nice") the capital of the French Riviera. The last time I visited this coastal city was in the early 80s when we were on our way to Monte Carlo, Monaco. Beautiful sun drenched beaches, charming cobblestone streets lined with cafes and historical museums are the main attractions of this southeastern French city. A vibrant nightlife also awaits your presence. At the end of the day, you can retire to one of the numerous hotels which you booked through this extensive website. Then you can truly say you had a nice time in Nice!

Shopping Cart Software

A few years ago, I took a short term course in web design in a computer school located in the Shaw Boulevard area. Our final 'thesis' was to design an interactive e-commerce web page from scratch. I remember spending sleepless nights and getting very frustrated trying to get my website to work.

I know that if I had this e-commerce software available to me back then, it would have been a big help in finalizing my project. Ashop Commerce provides a very vital tool in any online store, the shopping cart. Their website is well designed with comprehensive information about the mechanics in setting up an e-commerce store. Their tech support and customer service are always ready to answer all your enquiries. You can also use a trial version of their shopping cart software for 10 days to familiarize yourself with their product. They make it all seem so easy! It is a one stop solution for all your e-commerce needs.

By the way, I am ashamed to admit that I simply gave up and failed to submit my final project for that course. Another one of those tasks I've left pending because I lost interest. It's the story of my life, really.

Pasa Load

Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays are D's off days for this semester. The rest of the week he works from 7:30 AM to 6 PM. Great! And we got a wedding to plan!

OK maybe not.

No don't get me wrong, we are still getting married next year! I meant we don't really need to plan for it or so I keep telling myself. So far, we have decided to just find a priest who will be willing to marry us in some chapel or church without the frills of having bridesmaids, sponsors and whatever it is you need at these ceremonies. Only my parents and sister would be present. His parents (they are already too old to travel) and his siblings are all in the US of A. He hates the idea that he has to invite the whole university where he teaches to the wedding. Our 'reception' kuno would be at Teriyaki Boy. Then we check into the Linden Suites for our honeymoon.

I know people would say hmmm it is just one day why don't you splurge a little? Or worse, he must be poor he cannot afford an elaborate wedding. The thing is the less stress the better it is for me. I don't function well in stressful situations. I cry my eyes out. A bride with puffy eyes on her wedding day is not a good sign, I tell you! When I emailed my friend to consult her about the preparations, I read her reply twice, went on a brief panic mode then I forwarded the email to D so *he* would do everything. In other words, I 'pasa load' - I passed the load of planning the wedding to him. Teehee!

It is more important for me to plan for the marriage instead of the wedding. I rather spend on improving the little apartment we would call our conjugal home. And believe me, the place does need a LOT of improvement. The minute I stepped into D's place I was already thinking on how to renovate the whole apartment. After all, I would be working from home so it is imperative I make it as comfortable as possible. Since D works such long hours, the thought that I would be all alone for hours on end is already stressing me out, this early. D has been teasing me constantly that I might start to cry out of loneliness being stuck in that tiny place the whole day. Well, I just need to prove him wrong, won't I? Either that or I have an hour and a half to dry my tears the minute he texts me he is on his way home. Ehem!