26 February 2012: Happy 1st Birthday, Nathan!

Today was the first birthday of my nephew, Nathan Alexander Santos Huang. It was held in Amici, Greenhills. It was a fairly small group. It was mainly the immediate family of both sides and a few cousins from our generation. It was a casual and simple affair, without much decorations, although the tables were adorned with picture cards of Nathan in various stages of infanthood.

Considering that we had just come from lunch, I was amazed that all of us were still able to partake of the food that was served. Admittedly, my past experiences with Amici were not good. I did not like the food the last couple of times that I had eaten there. The bread used for their paninis were dry and the fillings were minimal. The pasta noodles were too limp and the sauce too watery. So understandably, I wasn't too excited. But I was pleasantly surprised this afternoon.

The food served was mozzarella sticks, spinach ravioli, Waldorf salad, spaghetti Bolognese and pizza. I only tried the first three, but they were enough to make me reform my opinion as to the quality of their food. I can gladly say that they have improved.

And as this was our first birthday party at Amici, we were all taken aback when, as they brought out the cake, it actually came with a skit! Haha. We were all expecting just the typical singing of "Happy birthday!" by the staff, but we got way more than we expected. The result? Looks of surprise and bewilderment on everyone's faces. Hahaha! Looks like they have additional requirements in their hiring process. :p

25 February 2012: Eastwood Afternoon

I've been receiving all sorts of text announcements with regards to the impending release of the bar results. As a consequence, I was trying to release my stress in some way. I already had a bit of alcohol last night, and was now in the mood to stress-eat a bit. And I knew exactly where to go.

As it has been lately, the timing was fairly perfect. I knew that Alyans has also been stressed due to the all drama that concerned her former maid, so I could count on her just wanting to relax and unwind. And in keeping with the usual tradition, stress and sugar do seem to go together. So, on the way to her place, I passed by Shopwise for a pint of Cookies 'n Cream ice cream and a box of iced gem cookies. Hence, we had our dessert.

When I got there, Alyans was having a late lunch of fish and eggplant salad, of which I also partook. Then for dinner, some hours later, we had home-made pizza and chicken wings. Love it!

I knew I could count on Alyans for this. It was great to just sit around, munch on yummy food and talk about anything and everything under the sun. Best friends are truly one of life's greatest gifts :-)

24 February 2012: Delinquent Duo

Quite frankly, today gave me a glimpse into how a day in my life will be once I become a lawyer. It was loooong and stress-filled. First, I had to go to the office in the morning. Then, after lunch, I had to drive my dad to Manila so we could help my brother deal with his neighbor in the condo. That took us a few hours wherein we had to deal with certain legal issues. Then we had to fight through the traffic on the way home. I suppose that could be why I was more tired than usual.

Hence, I was really looking forward to the drinks that I was supposed to have with the Delinquents. But then I received a text from Cel that it was cancelled and that we'd just see each other in March. I really needed to unwind though, so since we were both free, we decided to push through, even though it was just the two of us.

It was great, and exactly what I needed after the day that I had. We met up in Bugsy's at Burgos Circle in the Fort. We shared a plate of chicken tenders and had a couple of cocktails. It had been so long that it was great to just sit around and catch up a bit on our lives.

I think that we've reached that point in our lives that we no longer really want to go to the club all the time. Once in a while is still fun, but not every single time we go out. Nowadays, it's much better to just sit around, have chill drinks and simply catch up on each other's lives. We're at that point in our lives where we appreciate our friendships and realize which ones are for keeps and which aren't. I'm so glad that my Delinquents are for keeps! <3

23 February 2012: A Hawaiian Dinner at a Chinese Restaurant

Tonight was our company's annual thanksgiving party. When we first started out, it was an annual Christmas party. But as time went on, and the numbers of our employees grew, not only did we have to look for a new place to hold it, we also had to move the date. As everyone knows, the Christmas season is the busiest for any business. Hence, we always have our party in January or February. And lately, they've encouraged a theme, so everybody gets a chance to dress up. This year, it was Hawaiian. You can just imagine the blur of colors and prints that were somewhat glaring under the bright lights of the restaurant.

In the past few years, we've had it in the same restaurant - Chinatown's Best along Banawe, Quezon City. It's actually a pretty good place, where you get the best value for your money. It offers an eat-all-you-can Chinese buffet and the food is actually pretty good. The only complaint could have been the traffic. But despite that, almost everyone made it. Which was great.

It's always entertaining to watch everybody as they let their hair down for the night and just enjoy being with their friends. Everyone was taking pictures and laughing. And the highlight of the night was during the awarding. My cousin, Mike, was the star of the night. Everyone wanted a picture with him! Hahaha. Everyone else was superfluous. :p Everybody else in my family had already either left or was leaving, and Mike was still in front of the tarp that served as the photobooth backdrop, where almost all the female employees were lined up for their turn to take a picture with the ever-popular "Doc Mike". Very entertaining, indeed.

22 February 2012: Too Proud To Ask? Nah!

I don't know if it's because I've always been in a relationship, but can guys really be this dense? And if so, why did I not know this? Maybe I've just been lucky, or just plain oblivious to this fact. But when I became single early last year, I have noticed that a lot of guys are "girlier" nowadays, always wanting to talk and being needy and the like. I don't mind those things in small doses because it can show that the guy really cares and wants the relationship to work, but to be constantly that way? Huh. Not a good thing guys.

But I like the fact that there are guys who recognize their "shortcomings", so to speak, and aren't afraid to ask someone else's opinion. And double points, I think, to those who ask girls on what to do about a girl. I know guys sometimes ask other guys as to what to do. However, remember, we're talking about girls here. I really think that it would be wise to get a second opinion, if you're getting a first one anyway. That way, you can be well-informed on both sides. I admit, it can get confusing, but I think the smart and determined guys can figure it out :-) And no, it doesn't require you to sacrifice your pride, boys.

Alyans and I were talking to another friend a couple of months ago, and she said something that has a ring of truth in it. She said, "If you have any questions about relationships, and anything related to it, ask Ces. She's the expert. But when it comes to being single and dating around and the like? Don't ask her. She knows nothing about that, and she's dense that way. That's where I come in." That's true. Haha.

I'm not a relationship expert. Far from it, I imagine. But I suppose it could come from the fact that I always seem to be in one that people assume that I always know what to do. News flash. There are no set rules to these things. Every relationship is different because the people in it are different. But like I said, asking questions can show an earnest desire to want to make things work, or happen, as the case may be. I admit, I talk to my closest friends about my relationships. Sometimes it helps to just say things out loud, to just talk things out but not necessarily ask for advice. And I'm always willing to help a friend, if I can, because I want them to be happy. :-)

Take earlier this evening, for example. I spent some time chatting with a good friend with regards a girl that he likes. Her birthday is just around the corner and he wanted to give her a gift. But he wanted to portray a particular image. He didn't want to overwhelm the girl but he wanted to make his presence known to her as more than just a friend. (You know how guys hate being placed in the dreaded "friend zone".)

Given that I'm admittedly a girly-girl, or as he says, "the girliest-girl", he wanted my opinion on some flowers and the wording of the accompanying note. We were going for friendly with a touch of sweetness. So, I gave him my honest opinion. The flowers he chose were a two-toned tulip bouquet because he wanted something special (other than roses) but nothing too ostentatious. He wanted cheerful flowers that would make her start her day off with a smile. Then he included a book, whose author was sort of an inside joke with them. I gave a little input on the wording of the note. I think that he just wants to tweak it just a little more before he sends it.

Awwww :-) I hope his girl appreciates his efforts. Cross fingers!

21 February 2012: Legacy by HSBC

Due to the fact that I went to law school, my dad figured that I would be able to better appreciate the forum that HSBC sponsored yesterday. The forum was entitled "Legacy" and its tagline was Managing Wealth for the Future Generations. Honestly, I did not have high hopes for that day. Based on experience, I was usually the youngest in those kinds of things and the speakers were usually boring. I would always end up just sitting at the table, pretending to look interested and actually just staring blankly at the screen. And as to those times when food was served? Well, let's just say it's a good thing that I'm not that picky about my food. Haha. But I was pleasantly surprised with how it turned out.

I was still the youngest in the room. And I still ended up just sitting at the table. But the speaker was quite interesting AND the food was pretty good. (Unfortunately, no pictures were taken as it didn't seem appropriate. It was a small room and a very small group. Too obvious.)

First, business before pleasure. It was a short talk, about an hour, give or take. The speaker spoke well, with a smooth and flowing rhythm. He even interjected humor at times. Taking into consideration the fact that his audience might not be well-versed with banker's lingo and the like, he would explain the concepts by means of visual and easy-to-understand diagrams. Personally, I don't think that I'll be able to apply what I learned to my own life, or at least not yet. But I know that it was interesting enough to catch my dad's attention. Who knew that a certain type of insurance policy could be a means of wealth accumulation? It was a different type of estate planning, one that would benefit one's future generations without sacrificing one's own standard of living.

Food was served throughout the talk. It consisted of 4 courses, with your choice of soft drinks, iced tea or water. The first course, the soup, was a smoked pumpkin soup. The second course, the salad, was my least favorite. And it was a bit confusing for me, dressing-wise. (My dad insists that the dressing was some sort of vinaigrette. For me, it tasted like some sort of Caesar.) But the accompanying walnut bread topped with goat cheese and a bit of tomato was yummy. The main course was steak with a red wine and mushroom gravy, accompanied by a creamy risotto and steamed vegetables. The dessert was a fruit salad mixture spread in between levels of a flaky pastry. The pastry was sooo good. But some of the fruits were on the sour side.

So my day was a full and productive one, for both my mind and my tummy. :p

20 February 2012: Father-Daughter Lunch Date

My dad is funny. We were supposed to attend a forum entitled "Legacy" which was sponsored by HSBC in Oakwood Residences. The schedule was for 11am to 2pm, lunch included. We were rushing to get there this morning because we left the office a little after 11am already. It's a good thing that Oakwood is just some minutes away from our office, and that there wasn't a lot of traffic.

When we got there, my dad asked the guard where the HSBC event was. The guard seemed confused so my dad figured it might be in the hotel part of the building. I asked if him if he was sure it was today and he kept insisting it was, so I took him at this word. So we went to the hotel part where the girl at the Reception told us to proceed to the 5th floor. When we got to the 5th floor, there were 3 placards on display, each for a different event. None of the three involved HSBC. When we asked one of the employees there, he suggested we check if it was on the 6th floor, although he also did not know of an HSBC event scheduled for that day. But my dad was insistent, so back into the elevator we went.

It was only when there was still nothing on the 6th floor, where the pool and restaurant were located, did my dad call his agent in HSBC. The agent informed him that the forum was scheduled for tomorrow still. We were one day too early. Hahaha.

Since we were out of the office already, we decided to just have lunch. Woohoo, father-daughter bonding. We haven't done that since I was a kid. That could be why we were both so out-of-practice. And that such things are really not a regular occurrence in our family.

We had lunch at Arya in Podium as it was the nearest mall. We were the only ones in the restaurant. So, we sat down, perused the menu and made our choices. After ordering... *crickets chirping* Hahahaha! Oh well. I tried to strike up a conversation but it's a bit difficult. There has always been an invisible line between me and my parents, something that always reminded me that they are STILL my PARENTS, so I still have to take care as to what I tell them. Oh well. In the end, we had a bit of small talk as we ate our lunch.

Appetizer: Roti with curry sauce



My order: Ground chicken with grilled tomato salsa and Persian bread

Afterwards, we both wanted coffee. We went to Starbucks where I decided to treat him to coffee. Okay. Even that didn't work out. He still paid me back, despite my insistence that it was my treat. Oh well. Maybe it will be different when I get my first paycheck and treat my family to a lunch or dinner somewhere.

But despite the lack of conversation, it wasn't really an uncomfortable silence. It was just nice to have some alone time with my dad. I kind of missed it. So, I guess it was a good thing that we were a day early for the forum. :-)