Sunrise Buckets @The Grove by Rockwell

This is my 30th birthday bash as captured by my dear friend JeAnne. The dramatic effects just sell the place so much Sunrise Buckets should give her complimentary meals for these photos.

Enough said. Let the photos do the talking.

They came in one by one with cupcakes. Di ko 'to napansin. Epic fail. Haha.

Thanks Je!

Dinner on a Rainy Night - 30th Birthday

I wanted to have a little and intimate birthday dinner with my close friends to celebrate my 30th. We came from Antipolo to Cavite so it had to be in a place na gitna naming lahat. That's how we ended up in C5 Pasig at Sunrise Buckets (The Grove by Rockwell).

July 22, 2012. Typhoon Ferdie. We had to eat fast because the place closes at 10pm on a Sunday. It was a crazy and fun night indeed. These pics were taken using my friends' cameras and camphones.

These are my cousins Judith, Jericho and Ate Sarah. Sayang Rap our bunso couldn't make it. He's working on a school project and has a class early morning the next day.

These are cousin Jerome, and our friend - also Jerome. My friends noticed I've got singkit cousins. They haven't seen the others yet. Haha.

Ate Malou texted minutes before that she couldn't make it and that just ruined my mood. We had to hug when we saw each other. Epektib ang surprise element.

The girls came in each of them holding a cupcake with their birthday wish for me on them. Pakulo ni Jeanne. Sabi niya the cupcake stint failed kasi wala daw ako sa wisyo. Haha. Oo nga, I remember being shocked when I saw they came in together. 

Mostly lovelife related and wish nila para sa 'kin. 

Ang gaganda ng friends ko. At ang tatakaw. Haha.

Intimate dinner? Foodtrip ang nangyari. Haha.

The cake.

Wish and blow!

Maymay made a post of this on her FB wall. Feeling ko sikat ako for 2 minutes sa newsfeed. Hehe.

The Brigs. Most of them ayaw daw payagan because it was rainng but they were still complete.

Dapat daw lagi may wacky post. Todo na  namin 'to. Haha.

These are friends from different places I've been. They used to be strangers to each other but now they've met. And to me, I don't know, there is something intimate about that. It's like introducing your boyfriend to your friends, and you don't do that if you're not serious about both parties. Except this one is between friends you love and another set of friends you also love as much. 

They even joked, next time they see each other daw sana sa wedding ko na. Why not? Chos!

It was a simple celebration yet it was all I needed. I'm happy.:)

Raquel and Friends in Potipot

"Brigs" are my barkada in NCO (2006-2007), and though we work for different companies now, we have remained even greater friends through the years. Last year lang nabuo ang tawag na "Brigs" at dahil 'yan sa isang matinding inside joke at laugh trip tungkol sa brigada siyete. We had to see each other this summer dahil huli kaming nagkita ay October last year pa. We left Manila via Victory Liner the midnight of April 22 (Sunday) to head to Potipot in Candelaria, Zambales.

 Potipot was beyond my expectations. 

summer beach hair

tulog ako ng nagaganap ito

Hindi ata ako tumagal ng lampas 30 minutes sa tubig nung Sunday. But on Monday morning I thought the still water was so inviting I had to swim. Sabi ni Je-anne, sa palagay niya matinding sikat ng araw lang naman ang kalaban ko, dahil kahit beach lover siya hindi niya mati-tripang mag-swimming mag-isa.

My morning swim. I wrote a name on the sand but edited it in Paint

I did not know my tummy can appear like this in photos! Oo, ako na ang mayabang dahil 'yan lang ang meron akong wala sila. Minsan inalipusta ako ni Elga sa scrabble. Sabi ko swimming na lang kami, hindi na umalma. Haha. So yes, I say "push" to posting these pics bago man lang ako ma-CS or magka-stretchmarks. One day I might (and I want to) give birth to a child.

 I only had goto when they all had 'silogs. Ganun talaga pag may minemaintain. =P

At dahil ako daw ang may pinakamaraming picture sa camera ni Elga, dapat daw ang title ng album eh "Raquel in Potipot". Ginatungan ko na lang ng "with friends" para di masabing pikon. Tinotoo nga ni Elga.

The bus left Zambales 11am (Monday) at ginawa ko ang lahat para 'wag ako malate sa office ng 9pm. Successful naman sana, may 1 hour pa ngang allowance. Kaso dahil itinulog ko ang lunch break ko, naoversleep naman ako dahil pagod, kaya late pa din. Hay buhay. 

Sulit trip! Buo ang summer ko!

Say yes...to time with friends

Minsan naiisip ko boring ang gimik life ko. Tapos nandiyan yung maiisip kong magplano ng lakwatsa. Pero really, if I say yes to invites and go to church and office events, I would hardly have any free weekends, I'd be torn in choosing which event to go dahil nagkasabay, and I'd be broke. Sinong nagsabing homebuddy ako?

So yes, this is something I discipline myself to do more of: say yes to invitations. Well, hindi pa din ako maka-oo to every single one, but I make it a point that I go to some. Lalo na kapag good friends. Isa sa mga natutunan ko over the past year is to value real friendships and invest on nurturing them. True friends are treasures. Walang echos. :) At isa sa mga pwede kong magawa is at atleast show up in gatherings to spend time with them.

Isa-isa na kaming nagiging trenta sa Team4One. This is Maj's 30th birthday.

mga kasama kong tumanda

I got to see some of Team Chester again, and sasabihin ko ngayon ang isang matinding cliche: parang kahapon lang. Hehe. I was like..."Am I really looking at Chester? Has it really been 2 years?"

The last time I saw these NCO friends was in October 2011. Yung Christmas gift ko na 2012 calendar April ko na naibigay. Tsk. Nevertheless, I have to see them 'coz I love them. And I want to go the beach. Hehe. Nabuo ng Potipot trip na ito ang summer 2012 ko. Ready na ko sa tag-ulan kahit bukas. 

will do another post on this trip 

Maybe one day I should throw a party where all my friends are in one place with me.