we are the champions

i am still overwhelmed after winning the hp cup 2013 overall champion. it's been almost 5 years since our first one.

i was always involved with the hp cup being a member of the bowling team since it started. that was 7 years ago. and since i've always been a fan of sports, i've been going to the volleyball and basketball games every year to cheer on our team.

this year, i think i got more involved than usual.

opening day, the mob and dance showdown: i have never attended the opening day of the hp cup except for this year. i'm proud to say that all the sds managers were there to support and represent sap practice. our new hires were also there to participate. good thing, too, since there were just a handful of us that day. i also had to be stand-in as manager representative since the other managers were not there yet. truthfully, i was not prepared to be at the front and center of the celebrations. in any case, i was still happy to have represented my team. i even joined the games! i had to compete with the boys in the eating contest (we placed second!) and we were the only team with women representatives in the tug-of-war (and our team was competing against big, burly guys). of course we lost the tug-of-war. i was just happy enough of us were there to represent the team. hahaha! as for the dance showdown, i was nervous for the team. but after seeing all the teams, i knew we had a fighting chance. it was a good thing the judges had the same idea. we placed 3rd.

volleyball: i did not want to join the volleyball team this year. the reason: i wanted them to have a fighting chance this time. yes, i know where i stand with regards to my volleyball skills. i am no way near varsity level. also, some of the women players were back from maternity leave so they should be fine. free still put my name in the roster so i was officially a team member. i tried to attend all the games that i could, just to make sure we had enough girls and not lose by default. unfortunately, we did not fare so well. we lost our last qualifying game so we only placed 6th.

men's basketball: i am a perennial basketball watcher from the very beginning, same as in volleyball. there were times in the last 7 years that i was the only one who watched the boys. there were also times when i cheered alongside the players' girlfriends. i was so happy for them when they went into the semi-finals undefeated and when they won a place in the finals. when they won the championships, i was soooo happy for them. some of them waited and fought for this for 5, 6, 7 years. to finally get it this time is a validation for them and i was so thrilled that i was there to witness it.

tennis: now, i am a self-proclaimed tennis fan. you could see my fb posts and tweets when i watch professional tennis on tv. however, i never played a game of tennis in my life (at least nothing that you can legitimately call tennis) so i had no idea why i was part of the team. i wanted to provide my full support for the team since it was only a one day event. however, i had a previous appointment for the day so i was just being updated by pia via sms. they coursed through the men's doubles matches but were on a twice-to-beat disadvantage for the mixed doubles. lo and behold they got first place in both categories!

bowling: bowling is my sport. ever since the hp cup began, i was involved with the women's bowling team and that has been the case for the last 7 years. for the first three years, we were back-to-back-to-back champions. then there was one year that there was no hp cup and after that we finished two consecutive years as first runner up. i really wanted us to get back the championship this year. we were not very confident because our star player was no longer part of the team. we were also coming into the finals as second seed against the green team. i guess my prayers were answered because jusel stepped up to the plate and delivered high scores in each of the games and we were finally on top again! the boys delivered their own and placed third. because we were the only team where both teams finished in the top 3, we were awarded as bowling champions.

manager's cup: i was so relieved that i couldn't perform in the manager's cup (we can only be involved in 2 sports). i tried to help out as much as i can and attended almost all their practices to show my support. i have to take my hat off to mylene, christa, aj, dune, glenn and christian because they really put a lot into this. although they started late vs. the other teams, they were able to execute a very complicated routine, together with a lot of lifts. i was also so thankful to sol for providing her expertise in sewing, even if it was all last minute. and rich and bev came to save the day, providing professional hair, makeup and accessories. i was at the sides when they presented since i had to prepare mylene's finale skirt but i was shouting my lungs off. they were amazing!!!! i was actually surprised we only placed third because in my mind, we were fighting for first.

there were other sports that i was not able to get involved in but all of the results combined to give us the overall championship.

i am so so proud of everyone who got involved in the hp cup and led us to victory.

GO WHITE GIANTS! GO SAP PRACTICE!!!!

friends... meeting up and sending off

it's been a busy couple of days/weeks and i failed to write the things that happened in my life here. not even on my journal. and i know i should because in a couple of years, i might forget. and this would make me remember.

we had an unofficial despedida for auds last thursday. unofficial kasi hindi naman talaga planado. we just decided to have one of our videoke nights and everybody said yes so go. it started out with auds, aj, alice, aren and myself (out pala ako kasi ako lang ang hindi "a"). nagulat kami na kasama pala namin si dennis. never namin kasi siyang nakasama lumabas. we knew that he and auds were friends pero sabi ko nga, given the same situation and we were in his place, hindi ako sasama kasi mahihiya ako. all the more na natuwa kami kasi it just showed how much he values his friendship with auds.

moving on...

we decided to go to the videoke in pioneer. not as nice as the one in greenhills pero it was enough to answer our need for good old fun and singing our hearts out. sanay na talaga kami sa isa't isa kasi alam na namin ang mga kakantahin ng bawat isa sa amin. like, si auds ang nagpapasok ng mga kanta ko and ako ang naglalagay ng songs ni aj. when it was dennis' turn, sabi niya, "pwede bang... bumirit?" akala namin joke! little did we know, the guy can really sing! kahit ang signature song ni aaron na "let me be the one", tinapatan! in fairness! :) sabi namin, kelangang maisama ulet siya the next time na mag-videoke. this time, in a better one para marinig talaga yung galing niyang kumanta.

nice one, dennis! :)

***

part of my sending off (i think), i met up with rona last friday for lunch. wala na kasi kaming ibang time to meet with each other since paalis naman siya for vietnam ng sunday to visit her sister. so kahit na lunch na lang at sa mega lang, go pa rin. daming kuwento, updates, chika. rona has always been fun to talk to. at wala pa rin siyang pinagbago. just a more mature and street smart version of the rona i used to know back in college.

i think we really should take time to catch up and reconnect with friends. minsan kasi, we think that they're just there so we contact them when it's convenient or if we feel like it. and then one month goes by... then it becomes a year... and then you wake up and realize that it's been ten years since you last talked to each other and now you don't have anything to say anymore because you don't have any common things. and then the friendship dies. ang sad naman nun, diba? so this is what i realized this past month. take some effort to reconnect with friends and loved ones. that small effort and the little time you spend with them would mean a lot.

***

kuwento ni ate...

they were supposed to go to ocean park in manila. kaya lang, sobrang haba daw ng pila para sa tickets and even when you do get inside, sobrang dami pa rin ng tao. naisip nila, baka hindi na mag-enjoy sina franco and sofia. so sinabi nila na hindi na sila tutuloy.

ate: franco, we're not going to ocean park anymore. let's just go to moa.
franco: i'm sadappointed.
ate: you mean, disappointed.
franco: yes!

so cute!!!! :)

***

romer, one of our friends from our previous company, appeared out of thin air last monday. well the truth was, he went to manila to apply for a visa since he'll be going to the US next month. text and ym brigade comes... kita-kita daw sa fort. and since once in a blue moon lang nandito sa manila si romer, nagkita-kita kami. we went to pier one at the fort strip... i think mainly for beer and yosi for the boys. rumel, lanye and romer were there when i arrived. sumunod sina rose and pogs. pogs wanted to stay on and have donuts and coffee but rumel convinced him na sa bahay na lang niya using one word: Wii. so off we went to rumel's pad. after sixty million u-turns (for some reason, nakalimutan ni rumel kung paano pumunta sa bahay niya), nakarating din kami. guess what we played: tennis. (alvin, irish, kasalanan nyo to. sinanay nyo kami dito). rose was the recognized expert and romer was the new-found loser... wala kasing tinalo si romer. si rumel lang ata ang nakatalo ke rose. but then again, he has all the practice. kanya yung Wii e. so not counted.

we finished at almost 2 am. since may pasok pa kinabukasan, we all decided to call it a day. they'll meet up again after two weeks, when romer comes back to manila. sad, hindi na ako kasali.

christmas celebrations and gift-giving

christmas for the past n years has been celebrated in the arco household for the marasigan clan. during christmas eve, we hear mass together, eat noche buena and have our exchange gift. the whole clan, together with the household and sometimes with friends, are included.

when i started working, i also started to buy gifts for everyone --- my immediate family, my titos, titas, cousins, and eventually for my brother-in-law and pamangkins. it's a tradition by itself. and every year, although i get stressed out thinking and trying to find my gifts, i more or less get something for everyone.

so here's my list this year:
- necklaces from india for my sisters
- silk scarves from india for my mom and my titas
- aftershave for my titos
- banana peel flip-flops for kuya reggie, kuya ronald, kuya jay and paolo (cousins)
- bangles from india for ate bea, ate venisse and via
- a journal from karton, still for bea
- a friendship bracelet activity kit, still for ate venisse and via
- optimus prime and megatron toys for franco
- cinderella baby for sofia
- perfume from bench for yaya cel (my "baby" in our kris kringle)
- and and ipod touch for kuya aljo (together with ate karla and ate faye)

the ipod touch is a christmas-new year-birthday gift altogether with kuya aljo. i was supposed to get a phone from smart for my retention plan when i saw that they also offered an ipod touch. we still had to shell out some money but it seemed to be a good deal. during the last couple of days leading to christmas, aljo was asking if i was getting the itouch. he said he wanted me to get it so he can borrow it from me (since i recently got my ipod). so that's how we thought of giving him the itouch for christmas.

we were supposed to buy a pair of rubber gloves and give that as our fake gift. but we were not able to get the itouch that day. second option was to give a gift certificate with the "congratulations! you won an ipod touch!". we were bent on doing that until i saw the free pencils from banana peel. i bundled the pencils and wrote on the outside, "dear aljo, merry christmas! you are entitled to..." i had one pencil in the middle reading "one ipod touch. love, ate inah, ate karla, ate faye and mom". i even asked aljo to bind the pencils together before i wrote on them.

come gift-giving time, i gave him the wrapped pencils. he laughingly said he knew what was inside. and then he proceeded to read the message. i told him to check what was in the middle pencil. when he did, he said "ito na ang pinakamahal na pencil sa buong mundo".



it was really a fun night. we even had champagne to cheer the great year we had and to welcome the new one ahead.

merry christmas everyone!

the big 3-0

guestlist:
- college barkada
- ex-officemates
- teammates
- other friends and officemates
- family, relatives

time and venue: december 8 / 8 pm /larga bar, bf homes paranaque

who came:
- audrey and aren, on time
- pogs, bert and rose, via macchu picchu
- aj, fresh from her bridesmaid duties
- mark, ria, melai and raffy, with the videoke and voices in tow
- marts, who was obviously tasked to buy the cake
- jayrald, neil and rogel
- sol, maj and sarah, wearing coordinated outfits
- aaron, bj and their significant others
- kaze (chevy, sherwin, kei, miwa, bri, helen) with faye
- prijm, with karla
- bam, with james
- family and relatives

pinaka-excited dumating sina aren and auds. naunahan pa nila ang celebrant. pero ok lang. sabagay, ang nakalagay nga naman sa invite ko is 8 pm. i just thought everyone was going to be fashionably late. :) nauna rin actually dapat sa akin sina pogs, rose at bert pero since medyo nawala sila, nauna pa rin ako.

anyway, natuwa naman ako at nakarating ang mga kaibigan ko although meron akong mga close friends na hindi nakarating (gels, hint! hint!). siguro kasi last minute na rin na-decide na ituloy. kasi, ayaw ko namang mag-party kung nasa ospital pa si kuya aljo. but since he was discharged from the hospital on my birthday, nag-decide na lang kami na ituloy. minsan lang naman ako magpapa-party. i don't even know when the next one will be.

faye's band, kaze, was in full force --- chevy, sherwin, kei, miwa, bri and helen. dapat nga, hindi makakapunta sina kei kasi meron silang ibang gagawin but for the love of me (talagang inangkin), nakapunta sila. and they did a full band (for the love of me pa rin). the first song that they did was "behind these hazel eyes" which i abso-f**king-lutely love. and since they were on full band, yung favorite part ko on the drums was there (love you, chevy!). of course they did their own songs. and they had this crazy idea to make me sing in front. time and time again, i've said that i never did good singing in front. lagi na lang may palpak. but this time, siguro since hindi lang naman ako ang nasa harap, at dahil nga may banda, hindi naman nila narinig mga kapalpakan ko. hahaha! :)

after the band played, videoke naman. of course, mark and ria were there to sing. basta siguro singers, di na kelangang pilitin. auds, aj, ryann and jayrald sang. sayng, umuwi na agad sina aaron. di na siya narinig ng iba. syemps, from the marasigan clan, kumanta si tita eva, faye (of course!) and jayjay.

masaya yung party. i'm really glad i celebrated and i had my loved ones celebrate with me.



happy birthday to me!