Saturday Surprise

It started as an ordinary Saturday. My list of things to do today included looking for a ticket to Manila since Xtine is finally coming to visit. That was ticked off after I found one at the travel agent near Shangrila. Then I did a bit of grocery shopping for the house and proceeded back to the flat.

When I got there, a guy from HK Post was outside my door with a familiar package under his arm. He gave me a paper to sign, and handed me this wonderful surprise from Japan.



This unexpected treat is a product of Mark's day of shopping with the other Pinoys in IUJ. They probably went to Muikamachi or Koide, or maybe even Nagaoka. But wherever he got them doesn't matter. What's important is the thought that went to getting these really neat and cool gifts.



There were three gift wrapped packs: two from Mark and one from Hazel. The cap and green shirt was from Hazel, while the black and yellow shirts and boxers are from Mark. I love the black shirt with the cartoon frog print - it just screams "Kawaii!" The Japanese really has a different aesthetic sense - simple yet quirky. And the shirt captures it perfectly.



Getting surprises is always fun and this particular one brightened this overcast Saturday. It couldn't come at a more opportune time since the weather is starting to get colder and the boxers, shirts and cap will definitely help keep me warm.

And the thought that Mark and Hazel took time out to get these gifts and surprise me with it, now that warms the heart.

Aligned

The past few days have been bringing in all sorts of news, from close friends, former colleagues, current clients and former agency work mates. The bits of news are unrelated and each one exists in its own universe. But after putting all the little, unrelated bits down and pulling back to look at the big picture, it turns out that they are aligned in one way or another. And in so aligning, I realized that it's sort of a road map that points me to the next big adventure.

I've always been an adventurer. Once, I backpacked across Thailand with only a book and map on hand - getting lost twice but relished the feeling of not knowing what's next. During a trip to Europe, my friend and I boarded a car and drove to 4 countries we both haven't been to, with only some computer print outs to guide us. We got lost a couple of times, and while he was shouting in frustration, I was relishing the feeling of finding out where to go next.

I'm ready for the next big adventure. I think I've put my life on hold for a good amount of time and the signs are asking me to move forward. I might not know what's ahead, but if the signs that recently aligned are any indication, it's definitely a more worthwhile and more enriching place.

Yesterday, I was going through my friend's blog and she wrote about her recent move back to Manila. It was interesting to read her thoughts and little frustrations because they were the exact same things running in my mind last weekend. I'm amazed at the fact that we're world's apart, but also similar in some ways. This star is probably the star that's supposed to guide me to where I should be headed.

Gosh, all these thoughts about stars and alignment reminds me of this 5th Dimension song that we used to sing in our High School choir. Good thing they have it on youtube. This is a joy to watch - like going on an acid trip without the acid.



Maybe the moon is in the 7th house, and Jupiter has aligned with Mars. That means peace will guide our planets, and love will steer the stars.

It's the dawning of the age of Aquarius! Harharhar.

Dress you up

With Julia Roberts and Meg Ryan moving on to more mature roles, the title of "RomCom Sweetheart" (or Romantic Comedy Sweetheart") is still wide open. Though there were several contenders to the throne, like Reese Witherspoon (in "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Feels like Heaven"), Jennifer Garner (in "13 going on 30"), and Jennifer Lopez in "Maid in Manhattan" and "The Wedding Planner", it seems like Hollywood hasn't found a replacement for Julia or Meg just yet.



Katherine Heigl is the newest girl to try and get the title. Just caught her new movie, 27 Dresses, and it has RomCom written all over it. The love-struck girl who's always the bridesmaid pines for her boss who doesn't even know she exists. Enter the obnoxious cynic and they log heads first, then they find out that they're attracted to each other. Given that plot, it definitely has RomCom written all over it. Heck, it even has the staple cast like Judy Greer and Edward Burns. (Let me just say that I LOVE Judy Greer! I did since "Jawbreaker" where she played Fern/Violet.)

As romantic comedies go, this movie is very safe. In fact, it's almost cliched. It's almost like "The Best of Romantic Comedies vol. 1.

Wedding plot like "My Best Friend's Wedding" and "Wedding Planner" - check
Love/Hate relationship between protagonists like "How to lose a guy in 10 days." - check
Secret love plot like "Catch and Release" and "Secret Admirer." - check

The script in the ending was also pure, pure Rom/Com cheese:

He: So, is this how you imagined it to be?
She: No...
He: *looks perplexed*
She: It's so much more.

AWWWWWWWW.......

So, is the plot stale? Yes. It's the movie predictable? Yes. Is it a total let down?

Actually, No.

Given all it's flaws, it's still an easy movie to watch. It's with it's requisite "aw shucks" and "swoon" moments. Heck, I broke into a smile several times in the movie. Which means Katherine Heigl and James Mardsen did a great job playing their roles and suspending reality for around 90 minutes. If a mindless, feel-good movie is what you're in the market for, 27 Dresses will definitely be a perfect, perfect fit.

A celebration of love

When we celebrated Ate Lissa's 40th birthday with a surprise party about 2 weeks ago, everyone wore red for a couple of reasons. First, the 40th year is the ruby year, and red is the color of rubies. Second, red is the official "birthday color." Third, red is the color of love. And there was definitely a lot of love from the inception to the conclusion of the party.

From that precise moment when the idea began, to the few minutes before Ate's arrival, everyone put their heart - and a lot of love - to make sure that there will be a lot more "happy" in her "happy birthday." From Mom calling us and checking if everything is on-schedule, if the flowers were given, and if we've invited Kitty, to Ate Bullet who liaised with the caterer and called up our family and friends to make sure they'll attend. From Biboy who scheduled their trip so that they can be in Manila before the 21st, to Raymond who worked hard on the cake and slideshow at the same time.

Ate Lissa's arrival reminded me of the opening and closing scenes of "Love Actually." There was a lot of hugging and kissing going around the room and - as Hugh Grant so accurately said in the film - love was definitely all around. The positive energy was simply contagious, and everyone had a big smile on his or her face. And it was easy to pinpoint the reason why everyone was happy and giddy. Love, in all its forms and incarnations, freely circulated that night.






There was love that knew no boundaries or distance. Even if they were in Atlanta (and later on in California), our parents made sure that this party would be a successful one. Even if we were apart physically, they made sure that Ate Lissa, and everyone in the family, felt their love. One of the things that Biboy hand carried from the US was our parents' birthday message to her, proving that true love really defies time and space.





There was love that never changes. Among the people we invited was Kitty, Ate's best friend since college. Their friendship has spanned more than 20 years, and they've seen each other in both good and bad times. Seeing them together that night, it's hard to believe that they haven't seen each other in a year. Seeing them all giggly and gregarious, it's easy to imagine that they were like this since college. Proving that some of the most important things in life don't change.




There was love that's strengthened by time. One of the night's bigger surprises was when Tomas shed tears after the slideshow. It was probably triggered by an old photo where he was with the 5 of us when we were kids. Tomas is, and has always been like our uncle, sibling and friend. And while some relationships with relatives tend to drift away as time goes by, it's comforting to know that some relationships are further strengthened.




There was love in and of the family. If there's one thing I'm truly thankful for, it's the family that I have. Whenever we get together - be it a special occasion or a random Saturday afternoon - we share love and strengthen our love in different ways. It can come in the form of a box of pastries, a favor, or something as simple as catching up on each other's life. Love for the family and the love in the family is something we grew up with. And seeing how our second generation are naturally close and loving, it's also something we're passing on to the next generation.










A few days after the celebration, I had dinner at Italianni's again with John. One of the managers recognized me, went up to our table and told me a very nice story. She said that after the surprise party, the staff were talking about how wonderful it was seeing how close our family was and "feel na feel namin na mahal na mahal niyo talaga ang isa't-isa. Nakakatuwa nga kayong panoorin."



I guess that's what happens when love is freely shared by people in the room. Love from family and friends. Love from people near and far. Love that's both new and old. Love that constantly develops yet remains unchanged.

At the end of the day, we were celebrating more than just a birthday.

We were celebrating love.

Brooch the idea

One thing I re-learned during Bonique's wedding was the fact that a brooch can transform the look and feel of an outfit. Since her entourage would all be wearing short, champagne dresses, I thought of buying silver and crystal brooches as accent. After fastening the first brooch on Alfie during her fitting session, Aling Bright agreed that it added a notch of glamour to the dress.

Even on the day itself, I had some extra brooches in my pocket just in case someone needed it. Good thing I did because Bonique's Mom was looking for a way to add accent to her outfit - and that's when the pearl and crystal flower brooch came in. And when Bonique arrived at the reception and removed her veil and train, I added a pearl and crystal cluster brooch on her sash for added "Monique-ness."

While traversing Li Yuen Street this morning, I came across a hole-in-the-wall shop which was very nondescript. But my "shopping instincts" asked me to stop and come in. So I did. And I found these:



This is probably the reason why my instincts were drawn into the shop. It had a section of classic, crazy and cheap brooches. It was like the brooch god rained brooches in Central and this shop brought out all their basins and caught everything. Really! There were more than a hundred brooches on display and my hand suddenly had a life of its own - grabbing one after the other.



There were brooches with crystals, some had faux pearls, and there was the ubiquitous cameo - albeit with a twist. But among the lot, my favorite would be this art deco set of brooches. Set in silver and accented by colored enamel and stones, they're guaranteed to add a hint of 40s glamor to even the plainest of black dresses.



I wonder who's going to get married next. Maybe I should broach for a "The Great Gatsby" themed wedding and put these brooches to good use.

Not quite Mexican but just as memorable.

A few years back, in one of the usual D' Frendz gatherings, we started talking about weddings and what our ideal ones would be. Grace wanted something frou-frou and Victorian (not surprisingly), Rona wanted something in yellow (also not a surprise) and Bonique wanted something Mexican.

Mexican. That's definitely something new. When I started probing her about it, she said that she wanted a wedding that was very relaxed and casual, where guests can easily mingle and circulate, where people could have fun, and she wanted it be an occasion that people will fondly remember. At that moment, tequila shots and Pinata centerpieces were running in my head. Not to mention frijoles and gorditas on the menu.

When she announced her engagement about a year ago, I was just about ready to email my friends in Mexico and order Guayaveras for the guys and Ponchos for the girls. (SO Ugly Betty!) But before I could say "Guadalajara", the theme of the wedding changed. Not considerably, though. She still wanted it to be very relaxed and casual, very bright and airy, chic and elegant, and still an occasion that people will fondly remember.

And on the 5th of January, I was witness to and part of just that. At around 10am, a very relaxed and casual Bonique walked down the aisle of St. Michael the Archangel Chapel on her wedding day.



Bonique was a picture of happiness and radiance as she glided down while "Love Affair" was playing in the background. Having been part of the preparations since day 1, I know the stress and "tacky" moments that led to the wedding. But none of those were noticeable or visible during that moment. All I saw was one of my best friends, taking one step to forever. People applauded her entrance twice, and that almost brought me to tears.



I'm not a big fan of morning weddings, although I've organized my fair share of them. But this one was definitely different. Bonique and Vince's characters are such a perfect match for a day wedding. Their personalities are bright, happy and beaming - almost like the sun. And what better way to celebrate their first day as a couple than having the sun bathe light and warmth to the occasion.



The reception was a picture of casual elegance. Blue Leaf was a perfect venue because it was surrounded by glass that lit up the place beautifully. The natural light brought out the best in everyone, and everything. It also gave the reception a feeling of openness and people could easily walk around and circulate. The feeling was actually that of an elegant greenhouse.



The best wedding is one that's very personal. And Bonique's wedding was full of personal touches. A lot of it is probably because it was organized by people who are really close to her and have been with her since college. (That's us, of course.) No strange coordinators imposing what they want to the couple. No unknown supplier springing surprises on the day itself. We all chose suppliers and partners who we knew and were comfortable with, and this made organizing it much easier. Even if I was in HK during most of the preparation stage, everything still went smoothly on the day itself.

Everyone in D' Frendz was hands-on during the wedding. From Mona - the host with the most who easily handled each technical difficulty with ease, to Wena - our musical director who gave the priest a piece of her mind. (You go, Girl!) From Rona who serenaded the couple, to Lezyl and Grace who manned the reception table with me so ably. From Maricar - our resident make-up maven who kept everyone glowing throughout the day, to Alfie who played her maid-of-honor role to the hilt. (Despite the 3 inch heels.)



I wasn't able to stick around during the program proper since I had a meeting to attend. GRRR! Work never fails to get in the way of fun. But from what D' Frendz told me, it was a very personal and heart warming program. Rona and Ricky (aka Dedek) sang beautifully, Eunice recounted the couple's love story (having witnessed it from Day 1), plus there was a surprise number from Vince and Canoy. The speeches - I've been told - were words that came from the heart. Mona said that there were no dry eyes during the speeches of Vince's dad and Vince.



Even though the wedding wasn't Mexican in theme, I think it still captured what Bonique wanted her wedding to be. A wedding that was very relaxed and casual, where guests could easily mingle and circulate, where people could have fun, and it was definitely an occasion that people will fondly remember. I'm so tempted to say that I miss the Pinata centerpiece, but on hindsight, that would've been "tacky."

Post-wedding, Bonique told me that people kept on coming up to her saying that the wedding was so beautiful and so attuned to the personalities of both Bonique and Vince. And several times, she thanked me for helping bring her wedding to life and making sure everything proceeded without a hitch.

I should also thank Bonique. Being part of a day so heartfelt and so beautiful, being part of the culmination of a love that we've seen start and grow, being part of her wedding, is definitely something to be thankful for.

Break it to me

After a two week break (well, technically it was less than 2 weeks because I had to work in between), I'm back in HKG and still reeling from all the wonderful activities that I was part of. This included a surprise party for my sister, a Christmas reunion with my brother from the US, family dinners, a Christmas party with the SSC gang, a best friend's wedding, and a much-delayed sibling pictorial.

As much as I wanted to write about all these things as they were happening, everything happened too fast and before I knew it, I was on the CX flight back to Chek Lap Kok. It's true what they say: Time flies when you're having fun. (Or as Mark says, Time flies. I can't. They're too fast.) In this case, I was having so much fun that time flew right by so fast.

I'll probably be spending the next few weeks documenting these events so I can easily look back at all the fun that we had. And if I could encapsulate the fun in a visual, it would definitely be this snap of me and my siblings.

Happy New Year!

There were definitely a lot of reasons to jump for joy this coming new year. For one, my siblings and I were complete this year after Biboy and his family decided to come home for the holidays. Second, our nephews and nieces were complete since Jul and Carl were here as well. So it felt like the "good 'ole days", but of course, we still missed Mom and Dad who were holiday-ing in California.

Year after year, I realize that the family is indeed the best gift a person can have during Christmas, New Year, and every day of the year. Nothing compares to hearing stories, advice, mundane banter and laughter from your family members. Another thing I realized is that I miss this so much. Eventhough I'm in Manila every month and get to see my siblings on a monthly basis, it's just never, never enough.



I'm excited about the new year because it's my intention to really make this a NEW, new year. After hitting the pause button on my life for more than 2 years, it's time to shift gears, make a change and really do something new. As Prichy once said in our yearbook: "It's time to transition."

Happy New Year and here's to all the new things that will come our way this 2008.

Cheers!

Merry Christmas!

"That every man would have a friend,
That right would always win,
and love would never end.
This is my grown up Christmas list."

Nothing compares to being surrounded by family and loved ones during the Christmas season, and I'm glad that I'm home to experience this. Getting presents during the holidays is cool, but there's no present as wonderful as being with the people you love.

I'm fortunate to have that, and for that alone, this is definitely a Merry, Merry Christmas.

Fun flight

My trip back to Manila tonight is probably one of the most fun flights I've had. And no, it's not because they had "Bring Me" or "Name that Tune" games in flight.

For the first time, I was on the same flight with a flight attendant friend of mine. Since I've met Tanya and her friends in HKG, I've never ridden on a same flight as any of them. But tonight, I saw Sally in the plane, and it was great because I haven't seen her in months. Even if she was assigned in Business Class and I was cattle, she took time out to stoop down to our level and catch up. Amazing how she's exactly the same Sally in flight and on the ground.

My seat mates were another reason why my flight was fun. Row 33 found me sitting beside a Filipina from Jakarta and a New Yorker who's going to Bacolod to get married. During the entire 120 minute flight, we kept on talking and talking and laughing and laughing about things both interesting and mundane.

The New Yorker wanted to know how he can impress the parents of his Filipina bride. We taught him to say "po" and "opo" as well as do the "Mano" when he meets them for the first time. We listened to his love story and did a bit of swooning. He's SO much in love! We also told him to try the Chicken Inasal and Napoleones in Bacolod.

The Filipina wanted to know if I was an actor because some people in the flight, along with Sally, knew me and acknowledged me. Plus, she thought I had an "artista" vibe whatever that is. Hahaha.

When the plane touched down, we felt bad because we were about to go our separate ways. But surprise, surprise, we later found out that we're all taking the same flight back to HKG in January. Thanks to that, we made a pact to see each other and share pictures from our holidays, and his wedding.

That should make the trip back a lot of fun as well.

Piece Offering

Caught Britney's 2nd music video from her Blackout album. The song "Piece of Me" is the one with a mention of "Philippines" - and not in a bad way. Makes me wonder if the song writer has Filipino blood in him/her or if s/he has an affinity with the Philippines.

Given her recent "meltdowns" and lackluster performances, Britney does really good in this video. It's more polished and has more of a concept compared to "Gimme More." Plus, she has a choreographed dance move with some back-up dancers that wasn't in her last vid.



This should've been her first single, first video and first performance in the VMAs.

These Boots were made for washing

Once upon a time, Bangkok was my shopping mecca. I'd go there with a small carry on bag and come home with 3 bags full of goodies from MBK, Jim Thompson, Naraya, Suan Lum, Chatuchak, Greyhound and Jaspal. But lately, that Bangkok shopping magic seemed to be gone.

In my past few visits, I've never bought or brought anything home. Not that I don't go around and try shopping. Since we're usually billeted at the Emporium Suites, shopping is just next door. Strangely though, I end up not buying anything, except this one time when I bought a phone card. Harhar.

Then, yesterday happened. I had an urge to go to MBK and check my favorite jean haunt if they had anything new. Alas, they didn't. So I went to Siam Square to grab an A&W Rootbeer float. Yup, A&W is still alive in Bangkok, and I always make it a point to drop by each time. In front of the restaurant, I noticed a big Boots store. It's been a while since I've been inside Boots - the last time was when I bought that FCUK perfume that Derick wanted. Since I had half an hour to spare, I decided to enter the store.

And when I exited, I had all these:



Yup, I went Boots-crazy in that half an hour. They had so many interesting bath and body products in enticing scents. Among them were shower creams in cocoa, green tea and honey scents. There's a body lotion and shower gel with Mushroom and Ginger. Then there are gift packs containing sea-salt infused lotions, creams and bath gels.



I got so carried away and bought too much that the shop keeper gave me this recyclable bag and another free gift pack. Thank goodness I had to go back to the hotel or else I'd buy some more!



Now I've got this major stash of bath and body products, and I've got a lot more coming from Biboy when he arrives from the U.S.

One body care bonanza, coming up!

Turning Japanese

While I was at the elevator in the Emporium Suites, there were two ladies behind me who were speaking in Nihonggo. One of them suddenly tapped my shoulder and asked me a question. Thankfully, I was able to remember that key phrase in Nihonggo that I learned during my trip in Japan. I told them:

"Nihonggo dekinai." (Which I think means "I don't speak Nihonggo.")

The girl was wide eyed and started speaking in English. She said that she thought I was Japanese because of my features. Add to that, she said that I looked like one of the Princes - thanks to my moppy hair and moustache.

Ok, now I've got another nationality to add to my "Are you ______?" list.

In Plane Sight

During one of the parties hosted by my friends from Cathay Pacific, I heard them talking about the redesigned 747s and that they're nicer, albeit more complicated. I've ridden 747s the past few years, but haven't seen these new planes. Luckily, I did today, although it was in cattle class.



Their new entertainment system is totally cool. It's much like Tivo when you can pause one program while watching another. You can fast forward to certain scenes or rewind one. (I did it while watching "Ugly Betty" because I keep on forgetting the name of the guy from accounting who Betty likes.) For the audio channel, I can actually create my own playlist from more than 500 songs. That brings "customized entertainment" to a totally different level.





They've also redesigned the seats to make it a bit - emphasis on "the bit" - more comfortable. Ergonomically, they're better designed. Plus, when you recline the seat, it moves forward instead of the backrest moving back. This gets major plus points from me since I hate it when the person in front of me reclines his or her seat.



Thank goodness I rode this new plane today. It made me ignore the fact that our flight was 2 hours delayed and we've been sitting in a plane on the tarmac the same amount of time that our flight is supposed to take us to Bangkok.

Going Knots

After more than 6 months of planning, Ivy finally tied the knot yesterday. It was a wonderful affair filled with laughter, elegance, family, friends, great food, and of course - love.

The entire event unfolded the way we envisioned it to be, and our visual signature - the knot - was very much present and well utilized during the entire event.



From the save the date card, it was mirrored on their invite. The paper stock they used for it was an elegant matte silver, and it made the colors of the knot really pop out. The envelope was very unique, and I remember Ivy telling me that this was the portion of the invite that they really kept their eye on.


A few days before the event, I decided to custom design their table numbers. Well, they're not really table numbers but "table countries." Each table was named after a place that was meaningful to both Ivy and LJ - places like Yokohama, San Diego, and my personal favorite, Barcelona. Naming the tables instead of numbering them was a nice touch.



The knot also made its way to the wine bottles. The couple had wine labels custom made, and it was a touch that I particularly liked. After all, marriage - like wine - is supposed to grow better with age.

Take a chance

This is another first for me.

For the first time, I was a chance passenger on the CX flight to Manila. Initially, my flight was scheduled for tomorrow morning, but I figured that it would be too much of a hassle to arrive at 10am then rush to Subic for a 3pm wedding. So, I asked the travel agent to put me on the wait list for tonight's flight even though she told me that it was fully booked.

Aside from that, I also had a plan B. I bought a one-way ticket to Manila via Cebu Pacific for a very good price. I figured, if I don't get the CX flight, I might as well get the 5J flight. And if I do get the CX flight, all I'll just waste the ticket and pay for the no-show fee to boot. It's worth some money, but then again, attending Ivy's wedding is priceless.

So now I'm waiting for the CX flight to board.

I just heard that the 5J flight is delayed. Instead of leaving at 9:55, they're leaving at 10:45. Good thing I'm on this flight.

===============================

Oh, there's a special edition Paul & Joe designed can from Perrier here at the lounge. They look like these:




I liked the gold one. So that's what I drank.

Cool water. Cool packaging.

Very, very visited

Thanks to Lezyl who posted the pictures on her multiply site, I have proof that D' Frendz were actually here last weekend! This was on Saturday when we raided as much shopping areas as we possibly could in one afternoon - sacrificing the planned Macau day trip. (To the chagrin of Tintin, of course.)

If October was the most "outgoing" of months, (I was out of the country 5 times in 1 month), then November was the most "incoming" one (with three sets of visitors in 4 weeks.) It was fun playing host to my family and friends who decided to take advantage of the long weekends to do some retail therapy here. For 3 consecutive weekends, I went to my favorite shopping haunts and everyone hoarded stuff ranging from shirts, jackets, toys, electronics, and even a green, plastic foot stool!

As Ginger told me, I must've have felt like a manager running a hostel the past month. Thankfully, my guests were all homebodies and I suspect they left the place cleaner than when they arrived. Hahaha. But despite the hectic schedules and the "rushing-around-HK-for-16-hours-a-day-shtick," having visitors for the entire month was an extremely fun experience.

Extremely new, too.

Whew!

Just as I was making provisions for Plan B, the supplier finally delivered.

Ah yes, the perils of Language barriers.

Tying the knot

Planning a wedding is an amazing thing. You begin 6 to 8 months before and have this mindset that you've got a lot of time to do everything. Then suddenly, it's a few days before the wedding, everything is in place, and everyone is just giddily waiting for the day itself so that the entire plan will just fall into place.

It's been more than 6 months since Ivy and I started talking about her wedding while we were in Urasa. We started with a clean slate and started bouncing off ideas and possible themes. We whittled everything down, and eventually chose a nautical theme. After all, they're getting married at Subic Bay and both she and her husband love the sea.

We eventually took a knot and made it the central icon in the entire celebration. It started here on the save the date card:



Then we used it on the invites, cake, table numbers, and other printed materials. I think it's a clever and fun way of announcing the wedding, and I'm glad that the couple agree.

Now, it's 5 days before the wedding and I'm excited to see everything fall into place.

Organizing weddings are so much fun!

D' Fastest

The visit of D' Frendz this weekend is probably D' fastest visit of a group on record. (And Alfie will be hearing about this for a few more times.)

They arrived Thursday night and that heralded the whirlwind of events that transpired the past 2 days. First day was spent in Ikea, Granville, Temple Street (where we had a yummy dinner), Fa Yuen Street and Tung Choi street. That day ended late - by 12:30 am, we were still at McDonald's surveying their loot. Saturday was spent at Central where we rummaged through H&M, Li Yuen Street Markets, Bossini, Giordano, Esprit and back to Granville. It was capped off with a great Salmon and Marinara dinner at Fat Angelo's.

And before I knew it, it was Sunday already and the girls have packed and were ready to go back to Manila. A few hours ago, Grace sent a message that they were back in Manila.

All I could think of was: "Were they even here?"