‎Attending another wedding...

First time here at St. Francis Church in Mandaluyong City.

A week before and a week after

I celebrated my birthday a week earlier because of a special request of one of my friends who will be leaving on my birthday week... So I met up with my close college friends for that...

And a few days after my birthday, just last Monday, me and my "old gang" met up after so long and celebrated my birthday too... Had red wine for dinner and milk and cookies and pudding for dessert...

Incidentally both celebrations, though from 2 different circle of friends, all happened in Ortigas!

It seems like it's turning out to be "my place" to hangout with friends...

Hahaha

White Elephant Exchange Gift

Among all the Christmas gift giving traditions, one which I've been enjoying ever since it was introduced to me is the "white elephant"...
This is where you bring along something as your exchange gift but it should be some "junk" or "recycled" gift or something that's been with you that you haven't used (even opened) and won't be using anymore - in the hope that someone else can find your "junk" or recycled gift useful :)
For us though aside from this recycled gift, you should also have a "regular" exchange gift and when I say regular, it's something new that you bought for the purpose of the... You get it right?

So to briefly explain the mechanics (which incidentally we've argued and modified the last time we had it) all the participants randomly choose the "sequence" of how you're picking your gifts...
We have all the gifts piled at the center... The 1st person chooses 2 gifts and opens both for everyone else to see... The 2nd person gets to choose whether to pick his gifts from the pile or STEAL the gift of the 1st person! and if your gift is stolen, you can pick again from the pile or from the opened gÍfts "at play"... The gift can only be stolen "twÍce"!...
and so whoever is that 2nd person stealing that sÀme item will be the final owner...gets? Are you still with me? Haha

Can you just imagine...
It's bad if you're the 1st person... Or even the last person... Or esp if someone else stole the gift you're eyeing!
It's hard to explain and more fun to experience firsthand!

And in the 3 years I've had the "whÍte elephant" with the "Óld gang" we still keep modifying the mecHanics! FÓr sure next year... Iba na naman gagawin nÀmin at mabubuhaÝ na naman si "Mr. Inday" hahaha - sorry insiders' joke :)

And this is what I STOLE!!!
I may not be a "geek" but gosh I couldn't resist them!
So thanks for these!

Oh and...
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Let's play photo caption: can you tell?

Can you tell the difference between these two photos? 

 This one has orange juice

   

 while this one is iced tea

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to view more of my "drinking sessions"

click on the photos above

or click on:

Dumayo sa Museo ng Musika

Sinong Boring?

Can you guess?

While we spent the night at a friend's house, we amused ourselves 

by playing around with her iPad 2 and took candid shots...

I wonder if you can guess the color of the shirt I am wearing...

It used to be Wed/Thursdays, now it's Friday or Saturday

I've been MIA lately in gimmicks. It's either one of 2 things - no time and no spending money - most often it's both to my chagrin! But I'm glad to say that I always find the time and ways to meet up with friends as much as I can...

2 weeks ago, we had Friday off in school to celebrate our school president's birthday with the usual party and eating in Seton

me and my colleagues in the Guidance Unit
That Saturday, I met up with mJ, Joy and Katek! I miss these guys and twas fun catching up! And as expected we did the catching up over dining and Starbucks and picture taking in between


with Ching, mJ, Joy, katek and kiks (thanks to Joy's Labidabs for taking this photo)


aside from mJ - I really REALLY missed my Starbucks! haha

to view more photos from aboveclick here

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Another group of dear friends that I miss too are my Psychos buddies! Fortunately for us Misty took my usual role of "getogether organizer" and contacted each one of us and set it on the first Friday of September - in Ortigas! Huwat?! Not again! haha But of course it would be to their advantage - Misty who works near Tiendesitas, Gutz who will come from the Fort, Jojoyce from Makati, Za from Manila, Aids who works in Ortigas too (but didn't show up coz he was sick! yah right! haha) and Tzi all the way from Navotas (due to unfortunate circumstances at work was unable to leave too) - waaaaa I'm the only one from down South! If it not for the free ride home (3 of us live down south anyway), I would hesitate from heading for another Ortigas adventure
Add to that - I left straight from work and was welcomed by a downpour when I got down in Megamall! You know the Aegis song...eto ako basang basa sa ulan...walang masisilungan? - good thing I had my trusty umbrella with me coz i had to walk from megamall to Home Depot down in J. Vargas street - I always do since it's faster than riding a taxi or what...
For the first time? no pictures for this getogether! ha! Misty forgot her digicam!Haha oh well, we enjoyed catching up and gossiping anyway...talking about Babies and Beaver! Say who?! What? haha
So instead of photos, I'd just share the link of the resto where we ate at citywalk, I mean metrodepot...no wait! it's Home Depot! haha
Jay-J's Inasal at Home Depot with branches in Timog Ave., Congressional Ave. and even in Macapagal Ave.

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Now this week end, it's another Friday holiday! Muslim holiday - end of Ramadan...and for us it's my little cousin Alyanna's 10th birthday! 10 years old on September 10! Cool! We're heading up to their house for dinner...then tomorrow, it's my sis Kisan's birthday! We might just celebrate it by stalking the RAIN concert in MOA! haha
Wonder if we'll get photos from this long holiday weekend....