MM t-shirts and tote bag

Well, since I'm in the mood to post some more pics and blogs that are waiting to be finished, here goes...

17 November 2007

We arrived last night at around 11pm. We could have arrived much, much earlier but there were some things we needed to drop off to our nephew's house in Calamba so...

Felt light waking up on our own bed. Hubby woke up early also so he could go play tennis. I have an early appointment at S&R Taguig today. Am supposed to pick up the MM tote bag and T-Shirts. I am driving alone to Bonifacio Global City for the first time but no worry, MM was so thoughtful enough to give me the directions in his website.

I left the house at 7. I was in Starbucks at Caltex SLT at 7:45 for my very much needed decaf. MM's directions were simple and straightforward. I just love it: " Bengski, I am so flattered that YOU would DRIVE all the way from Laguna! Yikes! When you get off at Market!Market!, keep going towards EDSA. S&R is at the corner of 5th Avenue and 32nd street, beside the large Home Depot hardware store. It is also beside the under construction St.Lukes Hospital and across the corner from Mcdonalds (there are two Mcdo in the Fort). It is NOT right near the McKinley Forbes exit. I hope that helps!".
November 15th, 2007

I didnt get lost, didnt get confuse. Now, if only some people could give directions in the same manner...

I reached S&R at about 8:30. S&R was still closed and the guard wont let me in inside the parking area. Hay naku. I have to wait daw till 9am. so I asked where I can park while waiting and he pointed upwards towards his back and said, "sa kabila po ng MC depot mam,". So off I drove around the block and immediately saw the open parking area. I parked the car and walked to S&R.


MC Depot walkway to S&R

When I got there, I saw this lady talking to the guard. I guess she was also trying to enter the garage but the guard maybe gave her the same answer so she got off her car locked it and walked towards the S&R gate. She left her car standing right there at the entrance of the garage! Hmmnnn, so I thought maybe I could go get my car and make pila na rin while waiting for the gate to open. About-face ako. Walked rapidly to the parking lot, took my car, drove off and reached the S&R lane. 8:45, hmm, I decided to just wait inside the car. 9am sharp, the barricade went up finally.



As I walked towards the S&R gate, I saw people starting to gather then I saw this bunch of people behind a table with the MM banner



I immediately knew that the tall guy in dark blue MM shirt is Mr. MM! The lady sitting behind the table must be Mrs. MM. We stood in a distance for a while giving them the time to arrange things. After a while, MM approached us and handed out a brown book for us to see, maybe order if we like it. This book was already featured in his website. Its a fundrasing project of a school and all the proceeds will go solely to the school. I ordered 2 pieces as soon as I got home that day.

A few more minutes and MM approached us again and this time exchanged pleasantries with us (I was standing with two other MM bloggers, forgot their names). I was happy because I was able to handshake with an idol. Kinda got star-struck. Ahihihi! That was why maybe when he finally announced that we can start choosing sizes I was still rattled and took size L for all three designs and a tote bag. I asked MM if he could sign my tote bag and he willingly did it for me. yay!


The MM stall as I was leaving S&R

As soon as I got out of S&R, I started asking myself if I should go home already. Then it occurred to me, what the heck! Hubby wont be home yet anyway so I might as well use the time to go around the global city. so, I proceeded to Market!Market! I took some pictures along the way...


On my way to Market!Market!


Passed by Bonifacio High


Cooled down at Starbucks Boni High



Purchased some cupcakes at Marta's Cupcakes, Serendra (pictures taken at home)





... and more cupcakes from Sonja's at Cupcakes by Sonja



Next day, hubby wore his MM shirt to church.
I took these pictures after the service on our way to lunch:



Nice, isn't it? Mine has "MarketManiac" written on the front and I still got another piece that says, "SUKI". The tote bag looks good too. I will bring it the next time I go to Salcedo market. I hope I remember to take a picture of it by then. Wanna know how you can get one for yourself? Check out http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/more-t-shirt-and-tote-pick-up-dates-saturdays-december-1-and-8.

Sitti, Live!

Hubby and I had a great time watching Sitti Navarro last 22 Nov 2007. Her concert entitled One Bossanova Experience was held in Trace College here in Los Baños. It was great watching her since I liked her voice so much. It was a lively concert and she was so pretty that night. Lovely legs, my husband said.

She even signed my CD (Cafe Bossa) and DVD (Sitti Live!) Loveit!



Hope it won't be the last time!

An old discovery

15 Nov 2007
Inside our room in Regents Hotel

After we had our breakfast at the Oysters, hubby and I went out to look for an ATM. Luckily, BPI was nearby so we took some cash.

When we got back in our hotel room, hubby said we forgot to pack his shaving kit. so I sent him back downstairs to pick up a shaver from a grocery store nearby. Unfortunately it was still rather early so the stores were still closed. He found one odd store though, manned by a chinese. He asked if he got a gillette mach 3 instead the guy handed him this item:



It was an old-fashioned razor. Hubby got amused because its been a long time since the last time he seen this so he took it. He showed it to me as soon as he got back and I watched him assemble the thing:



He was laughing all the while. As he was about to start shaving, I turned to go back to the computer when suddenly I heard, "ouch, ouch, aw, aw, ouch!" As in sunod-sunod! Haha! A few minutes after shaving he started complaining about how his skin is starting to ache. I guess he didn't know the right way to use the blade. Haha!

My youngest niece, Eunice, celebrated her birthday last 21 November 2007

Double celebration in Naga, part II

15 November 2007
Oyster Restaurant

Mama was really surprised to see us. She was sitting all alone busy looking inside her bag when we entered the restaurant (Roy & Tom were in the Men's room). I stood beside her and said,"Happy birthday Mama!". She looked up and said,"Uy ne..." then looked down again in her bag then when she realized what was really going on, she looked up again, amazed, then stood up and hugged me. All that was captured in the video that my husband (her youngest son) was taking all the while. Surreal!





After all the exchange of stories, nephews and nieces started coming in. We had one family picture taken right before lunch.



The waiter took the cake out after lunch.



Glenn fixed and lighted her candle 83, RJ, Mama's great grandson stood beside her as we sang her Happy birthday song.



I served the cake right after she made her cut.



Everyone was happy!


After lunch, Kuya Roy asked us to take Mama to doctor to have her hips checked up by her doctor. So off we went to Mother Seton Hospital and luckily we were the first people so Mama got to be the first patient. So, the doctor came, checked her, asked for a full spine x-ray because he wants to show us that Mama is scholiotic too. After the check up, we headed to Mercury drugstore and got her prescribed medicine then went straight home.

That night, as I was sitting in Mama's bed, I noticed her framed picture with dedications written. I stood up and read it again.



Dang! Mama is only EIGHTY-TWO!

The night I ordered the cake, I was not sure about Mama's age so I texted hubby and asked him. He texted back saying she is 83. So, I wrote HAPPY 83RD BIRTHDAY MAMA! in that piece of paper and gave it to the cake house crew. When I got home, I asked hubby again if he was sure about her age. He said yes and that he even confirmed it from Kuya Roy.

Oh well... Mama had a good celebration anyway.

The next day, we hit the road early. It was raining in some areas on our way back but we still made a stop to take pictures...

of me at the Welcome to Camarines Sur Arch


and of hubby at the Welcome to Camarines Norte Arch

Double birthday celebration in Naga!

Today is my birthday and I am writing this blog from our room in the Regent Hotel in Naga City.

We decided to celebrate here this time since it is also my mom-in-law's birthday. She is now 82. We wanted to surprise her. She believed we won't be around because we already went home last Nov. 1 for the All Saint's Day celebration.

We left Los Baños yesterday noontime and reached Naga at around 7:30pm. We checked-in then headed straight to the Oysters Restaurant for Dinner. We wanted to have a quick dinner so we opted to order fast foods like Pancit Guisado & Chicken in garlic sauce. The food turned out great. After dinner, we decided to check the menu and order the food for the next day's celebration. I ordered several Crispy Pata, several Sweet & sour lapulapu, several Pancit Guisado, Beef, chicken and fried Rice. I brought a chocolate cake from a famous chocolate cake house in Los Banos and told the waiter that I would like it to be the dessert right after our Mom blew her candles. The waiter said they might charge corkage for it. He went to the counter to confirm and came back to tell me that the corkage is P150. Dang!!
Anyway, seems like we no choice after all so we agreed.

Just received an SMS from my brother-in-law, Roy that they are now leaving Libmanan for Naga so... gotta go! Hope I get good pictures that I can post here later.

Happy birthday to me, to Mama, to Aaron (my nephew) and to Em's (my sis' bestfriend) brother!