As I Turn A Year Older

As I turn a year older, I'm thankful ...

... that I have found the Lord in my life.

... for my parents who stood by me through my joys and pains. They defended me when my life took a sudden turn.

... for friends who walked me through a new path when I didn't even know where it'd lead me to. Just the same, we kept each other company.

... for the opportunities that opened up in my life be it at work or in business.

... for new friends who share the same passion as I do.

... for my new found talents.

... for the wisdom that my experiences have taught me.

... for a new life that I have been gifted with.

Life is good. I love this life. No regrets whatsoever. Just living it forward and positively. Happy new year everyone!

New Year's Resolution Anyone?

We're a day away from 2009 and most people are thinking of what their new year's resolution will be. If I were to think of my personal resolutions, it is to ...

... find more time for prayer
... be less of a workhalic in our family business
... enjoy life more
... understand that there is a time for everything
... exercise and be healthier
... manage my finances better

I'll be going to class next year to learn more skills. I will most likely be taking basic photography, clay molding and basic culinary / pastry skills. These should keep me busy in the next 365 days. I'm very excited about my plans and no matter what they say about how the economy will be, I choose to look at the bright side. Life is what we make it!

The Works

At last, I got my much needed salon pampering. After many months of not being able to visit my neighborhood salon, I had my usual mani and pedi, foot spa and hair spa. I must have spent a good 2 hours with my leg stretched out while leafing through different magazines. My nails look daintier now with pink polish. My hair looks healthier as well. This is short of saying that I look more put together now. At least there was an effort to look my best.

Breaking the Monotony

I needed a change of scenery. I've been at home most of the time the past few days and I'm in dire need of retail therapy. With the whole family in tow, we headed to Robinson's Place for a so called break. While it can be relaxing at home, I think at this point it'll be "healthier" to feast my eyes on the latest fashion trends.

Obviously, I need some pampering. With no salon visit the past months and little attention to wardrobe and style, I felt the need to see something new in my closet. I want to see more color. Something queer. A fashion statement. It just had to be unique. After searching every boutique for that interesting piece, I didn't find it.

I'll try my luck in another mall. I'm certain that unique piece is out there just for me.

Lemon Torte

My cake decorating group came to the house. Tita Lou and Tita Karen had lunch at home. Ma prepared a really good Chinese meal that could pass as a lauriat. We updated each other and baked the whole afternoon. Tita Karen taught us how to make a lemon torte. It was easy to do and the recipe was easy to follow.

Basically, the torte was made of meringue and crush walnuts that were baked thinly. The torte was stacked and lemon fillings in between. The sweetness can be reduced but overall, it was good. I'm somehow more used to baking now. There's a lot more to learn. I'm taking it one torte at a time.

Martha's Birthday

Since my high school days, I'd usually be celebrating post-Christmas at Martha's home. Well, Martha was my classmate since nursery and the 26th happens to be her birthday. This year, I was invited to her home where her birthday will be celebrated with family and friends.

A buffet dinner was prepared at the garden. The breeze was chilly and the zen surroundings were calming. Seated by the veranda were Martha's uncles singing old songs (from the 60s?) as one of them strummed the guitar. I was glad to see familiar faces which brought back memories from years past.

Martha will leave tomorrow for London. I will miss her but I'm glad that we were able to spend time with each other. This is what girlfriends do, don't they?

A Christmas Prayer

A Christmas Prayer
by Robert Louis Stevenson

Loving Father, Help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world.

Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.

Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children, and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake.

Amen.

Christmas Mass

For several years now, it has been our family's tradition to hear Mass at Century Park Sheraton. Mass would usually start at 10 AM of December 24. Today was no different. With sleepy heads, we headed to Sheraton.

On the way to Mass, I remembered the painting shown by Fr. Jojo, Retreat Master of my recent Advent Recollection, showing a town filled with people clad in coats and walking on the snow filled streets. What I didn't know was that, on one of the horses was a couple carrying a baby. As it turns out, it was Jesus, Mary and the baby Jesus. It gives me goosebumps whenever I remember the painting. So powerful was the message of how Jesus quietly came into this world and how He made such a huge impact on mankind.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Never Too Late

Pa drove me to work today and it was a quiet ride to Makati. That’s how Pa and I are. Not much chitchat but always there for each other. I brought with me several bags of pastries and decorated cookies for everyone at work. I figured that most people will be on leave by tomorrow and today was a good time for gift giving. I usually give my gifts earlier but with my busy schedule, I just couldn’t get to do it ahead of time.

When I got to the office, I labeled my gift tags and prepared for my team meeting. I finished my rounds past 4 PM and by this time, I was woozy and feeling dehydrated with my stomach flu still acting up every now and then.

Despite the craziness of the season, it remains to be my favorite time of the year.

Getting High with High School Friends

I have never slept for seventeen hours in my whole life! I woke up at 10 AM today but I was in bed at 5 PM yesterday. That was how badly my body needed rest and sleep. No dinner, no breakfast, just sleep. I wasn’t feeling as woozy when I woke up. The chills seemed to have gone away but this time, I had to deal with stomach flu. Sigh.

Somehow, I regained my strength the latter half of the day. I decided to attend the dinner reunion with my high school friends at Spiral. Another holiday buffet and another probable cause of stomach flu. I didn’t try all the food stations and I only ate what seemed to be appealing. Nothing special. Just a smorgasbord of cuisines.

We were around fifteen people seated at a long table and it is usually at this time of the year that we have dinner and catch up on each other’s lives. Some just got married. Some have long been married. Some want to get married. Some have kids. Some act like kids and yet, we all remain the same - classmates from way back meeting up every year to greet each other Merry Christmas. Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas!

Time Out

More than a week’s lack of sleep took a toll on my health. I was down with a flu and had chills and cold sweat. Scheduled in my calendar for the evening was a wedding reception of my very good friend Stephen. Needless to say, I wasn’t able to attend and had to apologize for not being able to celebrate with him as much as I wanted to.

My body just gave up on me. With only four to five hours of sleep daily for a week and a hectic schedule for months, this was a clear case of the spirit was willing but the flesh was weak.

My First Wedding

Again, I'm not yet walking down the aisle. Today was my big day and sort of coming out with my very own cake and cupcake tower. Everything had to be ready by mid afternoon. Emotions were running high this morning with me in particular annoyed and disappointed with the little things. This is how I am at work - perfectionist, obsessive compulsive and domineering. I can be other people's worst nightmare when pushed to the wall. Someone with little sleep can be a pain in the a@# and that is exactly how I was the past few days.

I was harping how the cupcakes weren't made to how I wanted it to be. Don't get me wrong. They appeared the way how it should be but I was fussing about the little details - how the snowman wasn't seamlessly "glued" or how the fondant was placed on top of the cupcake. For other people who aren't as OC as I am, the cupcake looks great. My standards are high and it can be quite hard to reach at times. Maybe I'm sweating the small stuff.

Anyway, all's well that ends well. The photos will be posted in Multiply soon. The set up was great. The flowers were lovely. The cake and cupcake tower was a sight to behold. Thank goodness we pulled it off.

Happy Birthday Pa

The family celebrated Pa's birthday earlier since Koc will be flying back to Xiamen on Sunday. We all headed to Heat for a dinner buffet. It was seafood night and each food station had several cuisines we can choose from. As always, I love the dessert bar. A favorite is the teppanyaki ice cream. I paced myself the whole evening so I could try a little of everything.

Pa will be turning 65 on the 22nd. I have always described him to be such a character. People find him hilarious whenever I share a Papa anecdote. He is amusing come to think of it. He really has a way of doing things. He has several habits that annoy me and yet, I subliminally pick them up. I am undeniably my father's daughter.

One Big Step

I received this email from Marissa. I'm keeping it.

There comes a point in your life when you realize:
Who matters
Who never did
Who won't anymore...And who always will.

So, don't worry about people from your past, there's a reason why they didn't make it to your future.

I took one big step today to heal. I've deleted several contacts in my Yahoo Messenger . Unfortunately, I will categorize them under those who won't matter anymore. It'll heal me not to see them online nor to be in touch with them one way or another. I wish them well but for now, I'd rather have them out of my life. I will keep an arm's length until such time that I have truly forgiven them for both their deliberate and unintentional betrayal. Things will never be the same again. I don't know until when I will keep my silence but for now, it is goodbye.

The Energizer Bunny

I just kept going and going and going. I cannot even describe how my schedule looks like nowadays. I move like clockwork and I do so many things in a day. I think I’m spreading myself too thinly and there were several times I asked myself if I’m into this for the long haul - if I’ll be able to work and do my craft at the same time. Something has got to give as others put it. I don’t even know where I get my strength every single day but I find a way to live my Energizer charged life.

My social life had to take a backseat. Sleep for one is now a luxury and pampering myself is unheard of. I promised to give time to myself during the long break. I will go shopping, go the salon, meet my friends and enjoy the holidays. After all, this is the season to be jolly (fa la la la la la la la la).

Sometimes

I received this SMS from Lala, my skin specialist.

Sometimes, God breaks our spirit to save our soul.
Sometimes, He breaks our heart to make us whole.
Sometimes, He sends us pain so we can be stronger.
Sometimes, He sends us failure so we can be humble.
Sometimes, He sends us illness so we can take better care of ourselves.
Sometimes, He takes “everything” away from us so we can learn the value of “everything” we have.

End of Retreat for Daily Life

It was my last retreat consultation with Riza yesterday. The fourteen-week program was successful and it renewed me in so many ways. Initially, I was apprehensive with the end of the program. I was hesitant to journey alone but I was quick to remind myself that for most parts of my life, I will have to make decisions on my own (though of course with His guidance). I try not to worry as much knowing that I’m in His hands.

I have several scriptural readings to reflect on, as I was not able to read for a couple of months now. The spiritual challenge is to continue walking this path that I have started to travel. I’ll always be a work in progress and each day is an opportunity to keep things real and to have a retreat in my own little way.

Homecoming

Koc, my brother, flew in today for a short vacation. Since he stays in Xiamen, the two-hour plane ride is manageable and he can arrange for a short vacation (it always ends up to be a working vacation) every so often. I was hoping he’ll be able to stay for Christmas but he has work to attend to. Besides, China doesn’t celebrate Christmas and they won’t be getting any holidays except for New Year.

It’s a good thing that he has more time to spend with us now considering that his previous vacations were all spent entertaining business associates. I’m hoping he’ll be home for Chinese New Year. Marissa, my other sister, might be in town for a vacation as well. I would be glad to see my family complete.

My SM Family

Many many years ago, I used to do my rounds at different SM Malls to check on my accounts. It was in SM that I first started my career and I was a fresh graduate then. My stay with them was albeit short (close to a year) but I made several good friends there. I was enrolled in a language university and I had to stay in Beijing for a year.

I did my rounds today at the newly opened SM Mall in Baliwag, Bulacan and it was nice to see familiar faces after so long. I’m back to where I started though it’s with a different company this time. Tomorrow I’m headed to the opening of SM North Edsa Annex.

A Banker’s Get Together

I was invited to a Christmas get together among different banks. I went together with my staff and other colleagues and I was welcomed by the head of the system network. I quietly sat in one of the tables and observed the people around me. This is a new territory for me and yet I strangely felt at home.

I remember not wanting to be a banker when I first graduated from college. I thought that banking was boring and very traditional. Surprisingly, I’m enjoying my job now and the people are great. It’s challenging and I like how it keeps me on my toes. Life is full of surprises and wild cards. It’s a matter of playing your cards right.

Christmas Stockings

It’s ironic how I’m able to prepare for other people’s Christmas gifts but I’m unable to attend to my own list. Despite my busyness, I’m happy that our goodies are part of so many homes and how opening our pastries bring joy to people who I do not even know. It is a happy realization isn’t it?

The past few days, I received an order for a hundred Christmas stockings designer cookies and it was fun decorating each one. Our client was happy to receive our custom made cookies and I feel a sense of achievement from this alone.

I have been lacking sleep and physically tired the past weeks (I should say months) but nevertheless, Christmas is indeed here. The hustle and bustle is right at my home.

The Women Who Knead

I was one of the nosiest students Tita Leni had in cake decorating class. I think I could even vie for the nosiest student in their culinary studio. I’m not sure if I should be proud of it but I’m sure they miss me there. :-D Before classes ended, I’ve been relentlessly teasing Tita that we have a Christmas party at her Forbes Park residence and yesterday we did. It was very gracious of her to host the party and my family was in full attendance. Ma and Orie were also students of Tita.

Tita’s house was elegant and I love her interiors and how every room was nicely decorated for Christmas. She has a cute little dog named Patches who was very playful and energetic. Patches would prod me to play ball with him and I was already catching my breath and yet he was still high and playful.

It was time for lunch and we all stayed at the dining area. The long rectangular dining table was elaborately set with silverware and fine china. We were motioned where each one will be seated and we took our turns to the buffet table. In attendance also were Tita Peachy, Tita Karen, Tita Lou and Tita Leni’s students from sausage making class. It was a fun group with very good home cooked food. I love the pansit and fried lumpiang ubod. Really excellent cooking.

All the Titas that I mentioned are all moms in their 40s (except for Tita Leni who is in her late 60s) and they’re my good friends. We had lunch once during Tita Karen’s birthday at Cyma and all of us text or call each other regularly mostly to share tips about our craft. We are bonded by our passion and interest in pastry and cake decorating. We will be having our own baking session at my home after Christmas. We agreed to meet and try different recipes. I look forward to this. I’m actually excited about it. I think Tita Leni is coming along too. :-)

A woman who kneads is a friend in deed.

Advent Recollection

The Retreat for Daily Life is about to end. I only have one more consultation with Riza this coming week and the program ends with that. Fourteen weeks passed by so fast. Today, I had a half-day advent recollection at Ateneo to officially end the program. I was both sad and happy at the same time - sad because I won’t be seeing Riza on a weekly basis and to a certain extent I am anxious as I don’t know if my walk will be the same when I’m already alone; happy because I have begun my spiritual journey and I met wonderful people with this group. I also realized that I am happy where He has led me. I remember commencing the program with pain and heartaches. There were tears, confusion and the stream of mixed emotions but all’s well that ends well.

The recollection master Fr. Jojo was an excellent one. He gave three simple points about God’s presence. It is that His presence is surprising, overwhelming and consoling. I totally agree. In the midst of my busy schedule, He makes His presence felt in many different ways. He throws a wild card just when I thought things are going well. Many times, I refuse to deal with His wild cards but He always has His way.

Had I known I’d end up in a better place now, in retrospect, I shouldn’t have cried as much. I should have trusted more. I should have increased my faith but no regrets. It’s all part of the walk with Him. O:-)

New Character Cupcake and Cake Designs

Take a bite from our sweet selection at http://www.sweetsuccess888.multiply.com/. It took us more then three (3) weeks to have all the photos edited and uploaded in our Multiply site. The long wait is over. Finally today, our new designs are out and new albums have been published. New pictures are now available ranging from cupcakes, to fondant cake and handcrafted designer cookies.

Enjoy! Delicioso. Here's a sneak peek to stir your cravings.

Answered Prayers

Moving to Makati has got me “exercising” during the mornings and evenings. My commute demands that I go up and down a plight of stairs and to walk a certain distance. It ain’t bad at all. I’m an absentee from Fitness First for several months now and the daily commute is just what I need. A few weeks back, I saw an article about Christmas gift suggestions and one item that caught my attention was the pedometer. I wonder if I could even walk 10,000 steps a day. Maybe I just could. On certain days, I walk in my ballerina flats. This makes my walk more comfortable. I figured I have to be kinder to my back and legs. You see, I’m not getting any younger. Though the commute was initially such a hassle, I now appreciate it.

For more than a week now, my prayer time has changed with no set time for me to be still and reflect. I used to pray the rosary on my way to work when I was still based in Ortigas and the one hour commute had me sitting down the whole time. It was the perfect arrangement. However, with my commute to Makati, it’s just not the same. I’ve been wondering how I could pray with this setup. I need to. Well, my prayer was answered today. I bumped into a colleague of mine and we had a chit chat and she mentioned in passing that she’ll be going to Mass by noon time. How could I forget that there was a chapel at the opposite wing. Riza, my retreat guide, mentioned it to me before. So today, I went to Mass. I don’t usually go to Mass on weekdays but today I just did and you know what? I like the calm that it gave me. It’s pure serenity.

My First Christmas Gift

When I got home, I saw gifts with greeting cards on the living room. As it turns out, Marissa’s (my sister based in San Francisco) package arrived today. I was hoping that everything would be intact. She informed me that she placed angpao inside the greeting cards and had these sent via LBC. Uh oh. That got me alarmed. Anyway, it was a blessing that her gifts arrived safely.

Shobe, (that’s how I call Marissa) sent me a greeting card and gifts. I was surprised to see a $100 bill inside my greeting card and that wasn’t enough. Separately, I had 2 gifts from her as well. A set of fashionable key holder and a set of metallic canisters for my brick a bracks. I was happy to receive these well thought of presents but at the same time, I was sad that for the 2nd straight year, shobe wasn’t around to celebrate Christmas with us. I felt I miss having her around. I guess that’s just the way it is when all siblings are all grown up and we have our own choices in life. Shobe will be home in February for a visit. I wish Koc will be home too so we can have a family reunion.

Makati Girl’s First Day

I love Makati because of shopping on weekends but wait till you see this business district on a weekday. It’s terrible! My usual commute to Ortigas takes me an hour and I’m comfortably seated the whole time but Makati?! I have to allocate an hour and a half for the commute if I will take the LRT. I was late for work and it’s my first day at Makati. Most of the people at work were late as well.

When I got to the office, the air conditioning unit was not turned on and it was oven hot. It was a pleasant surprise though when I saw my office. I saw my name posted on the closed door and I enthusiastically opened it. Right before me was the view of Makati’s skyline and I had a bird’s eye view of the poolside of Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The floor was carpeted and the room smelled of wood and I had a coffee table with 3 cushioned chairs in the middle of my office. It was a wonderful sight and a welcome change. I can now experience the privacy of talking with colleagues and focusing on tasks that had to be accomplished minus the disruptions. How I love it.

Despite the traffic, I’m happy to enjoy the peace and quiet that I need. This is my sanctuary.

On the First Day of Christmas

It’s the first day of December and our household is filled with so many activities. So much had to be done as we are as usual expecting the stream of orders for Ma’s pastries. I was luckily able to pace myself over the weekend. I finally found the time to watch TV and I consider this a luxury. For me to idly stay in bed and relax, this is such a rare opportunity for me.

I spent the day decorating cupcakes and working on the product shoots with Orie. I was hoping we’ll finish early but unfortunately, we didn’t. We have so far worked on 5 themed cupcakes and all of them are waiting to be uploaded. It’s a lot of work not because it’s complicated to do so but because we have limited time.

I think I’ll be able to pick up more and more of the Christmas spirit in the coming days.