What's the most inconvenient favor you asked your best friend?

Many times, it takes so much from us to do favors--much more the inconvenient favors.

Janelle and I had quite a number of this. And in as much as we would want to roll our eyes in annoyance, we just couldn't because. Because. :))

I talked to Denise about this and asked the most inconvenient favor Diane asked from her. She said that they have a lot, but in most cases, she's the one who asks them from Diane.

"Why don't you tell her you can't do it?" she asked.

"Because I love it despite the inconvenience. It defines the level of friendship that you have. Not a lot of people can ask you such favors. And the most inconvenient--those that you'd feel embarrassed to even utter--are left to be asked and done by your best friends."

That Friday, I reminded Janelle that we have the Katy Perry Part of Me movie date (to which I learned she forgot). And because she doesn't like going out to places wearing her med school uniform, she asked me to bring "nice clothes" for her. So I had to go home after work to get that before going to Rockwell. Well, up side is I got to shower and eat light dinner at home. ;)

(See below pictures of Janelle with my dress and shoes. Ain't she pretty? :P )

So what are the inconvenient favors I asked from her?

1. Drive me home foreverrrr, unplanned overnights and 911 dates bec I'm needy when I have a problem:))) "I know you're studying, but I'm at your gate na. Sorry superrr but can you pick me up?"
2. (3am convos on the phone) "Are you sleepy na ba?" "It's okay sis." "Thanks. I'm really still not okay."
3. Now this one wasn't from me. But it was for me. In order to pull off a really big surprise party, she and Kevin hosted my 19th birthday in her house. All my friends and family in her house! And how in the world will I ever expect that? :))

And the ones she asked from me?

1. "Okay. Let's watch in Galleria nalang para game ako na naka uniform lang. Pag Rockwell, I need nice clothes and shoes!!!!" :))
2. "I'm in KFC McKinley, can I sleep in your house tonight?"
3. "I might have dinner tonight. Nakapambahay lang ako e. Do you have clothes in your office drawer?" "Only my running outfit." "Okay. What are you wearing right now and at what time can you change to your running outfit?"

Hahahaha! Truly rocks my socks. :))

So you there. What's the most inconvenient favor you asked your best friend?

I realized that I eat salad only when...

1. I'm really in the mood.
2. I'm really really starving.
3. I'm the one who made it.

---

Third item I realized yesterday when we were in Modern Culinaire Academy. Chef Dino taught us how to make a Caesar Salad with a twist. And true enough, it had something different. I finished it all, mind you.

I wish I can share with you the recipe, but apart from keeping it bec I wanna keep it, I also snuck out of the kitchen to give directions to the place to my friend. So what for is an incomplete recipe? :))

Chai was there which I loved cos I love talking to her during NN events. She also brought her brother, who's studying HRM.

Chef Dino was so cool and helpful. He was also very engaging. Plus he affirmed me a lot. "Oh that's very nice!" "You're doing it really really great. That's gonna be a great sauce." (Was that his term? I forget.) The only thing I didn't like was how he separated the egg white from the yolk when I said I was v excited to do it! :(( Hahaha! But fine.

Other than the salad-making class, there was also a macaron-making class, this other demo on the first floor and the mixology on the top floor. Since I already know how to make a Tequila Sunrise, my forever favorite, I just helped myself with a glass. :)

Friday afternoon well-spent!
Thanks, MCA!

I lied--that was not my thesis song.

Four days ago, I sang in Light Thursdays. And before our set, we were told to share our take on the song we'd sing. Lop was to intro Lost in Space; Nikki was to start Stuck in a Moment; and I was to share my personal story on Dare you to move.

It's not that I came unprepared. I knew about the value of the song to me even before our set in Light. I knew the story before rehearsals, and even before the list of songs were emailed to me.

So when Brother Didoy nodded his head to urge me to start my little story about the song, I smiled, held the mic tight and went on with...

"Back when I was still in college..."

Don't get me wrong. This was one of the songs that lifted me up too. But this was just one of the many songs that I had. I remember I almost failed my defense, if not for the chance that was given to me by my adviser. And that break before I had my make-or-break defense, I was surrounded by all the things and people that inspired me to move up. But still, it wasn't my thesis song.

My thesis song was Miley Cyrus' The Climb.

"I can almost see it

That dream I am dreaming

But there's a voice inside my head saying

"You'll never reach it"

Every step I'm taking

Every move I make feels

Lost with no direction

My faith is shaking"

OrCom people knew that. Almost everyone of us had our thesis songs. Jona with Party in the USA (People: Kamusta na thesis mo? Jona: Ayun. Partying in the USA). Noemi with Defying Gravity. And a lot more.

And so we go back to this was not my thesis song.

Dare you to move is not as 'weightful' as Desert Song or If you want me to.
But it means just as much.

Dare you to move is not 'Go on, you can do it.'
Dare you to move is when you know you can move, but you're choosing not to move. With an unreasonable amount of faith, you decide to hold on to something not worth fighting for.

"Everybody's watching you now

Everybody waits for you now

What happens next

I dare you to move

Like today never happened

Today never happened before

Maybe redemption has stories to tell

Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell

Where can you run to escape from yourself?"

"Everybody's watching you now"
Because everybody wants you to make it.
And you continue holding on to pencils and pastels and that wonderful image that you create around you, even when you know that there's a better painting at the other side of the road.

In Dare you to move, you are aware of your choices. But you don't take it, you don't make it.
You are perfectly capable of doing it. And that's why you are dared to do it.
You don't dare the deaf to hear. 
You dare someone who can but won't.

--
And if we're playing Truth or Dare, I obviously failed in truth, as I did not narrate my real story.
And if I don't move on the dare, that's failing two out of two in the game.

xo,
Jel

Sweet Summer 2012: Batangas, Bohol, Boracay, Bataan

Since summer has officially ended, and my last two trips aren't pushing through anymore, I think I am just but licensed to summarize the sweet summer that was. Listing them all down, I realized how I managed to visit four B's in a span of four months.

Batangas with OrCom / Punta Fuego (March 2012)
Lou was very generous to share with us one of the perks in her company (MPI), a free stay in the company-owned rest house in Punta Fuego. I really enjoyed this trip because I don't get to hang out often with my college friends. The last time I partied with these girls was the OrCom Christmas dinner we had four months before this trip.

The OrCom girls I often get to see would have to be Noemi (because we used to work in the same area), Alvina (carefully planned and plotted dates) and Jeanne (random hangouts/badminton/run with her and Alan).

So an invite to Punta Fuego with them girls was really difficult for me to pass. ;)

The house was really beautiful and complete with cookware and kitchen utensils.

Most of the time was spent lounging around. Being that we're all working already, a time out from the city and the deadlines was really what we needed. 

That's me seeking to get my summer tan. ;)

After the beach, we went to The Peak, one of the famous pools in Punta Fuego. The resort boasts their undeniably good view of the infinity pool from the top. I remember we spent the whole afternoon swimming here and sitting on top of the edge of the pool, talking about  lolwhatelse boys. 

I think this view we had in the rest house explained why Punta Fuego is one of the nicest resorts in Batangas. This view was just so relaxing. While waiting for the others to finish in the shower, I spent almost an hour just appreciating this view (and inhaling the smoke of my smoker friends LOL).

This was how the room was like. Two beds facing each other from opposite ends.

I really love the interior of this resthouse. Two nights just didn't seem enough.

A shot of basement one. Nobody really slept here because we all wanted to be together. But it's a bigger space compared to the first floor, mainly because it has only one bed.

Dinner for the night was prepared by Jeanne. We had some grilled liempo, grilled hotdog and some veggies. Thank you woman!! <33

And of course there was some drinking. We had wine, vodka,The Bar and wthdidwehaveemperador? LOL. Also this outside drinking area was in basement one.

It was a crazy night. Totally a rewind of college. And it just suddenly reminded me of all the OrCom nights that we had in our four years. That pageant, that party, and the bright lights and alcohol that were all exclusive to the OrCom crowd--the coolest.

*snap* *snap*

This totally gave me a good preview of my awesome summer. Thanks girls!

Boracay with CSR (April 2012)
Just like with my college friends, hangouts with my elementary friends are not a regular. But I get to see Lilia once a month or once in two months since we're neighbors and we do really allot girlfriend dates. Out of towns are planned once in awhile. Like when we were in sixth grade, I remember going to Bicol with her family. Then once in awhile, back in college, we did have some Tagaytay Highlands trip for casual swimming,   to eat our favorite pizza in Highlands Country Club, or to have that really ravishing massage in Highlands The Spa Lodge.

A flight-away trip was new. And so was an out of town with Tadz.

Lil and Tadz in the airport

And me ;)

On our first day, we decided to have Italian for lunch. Of course, as usual, I ordered marinara pasta. ;)

It was my first time to stay in Station 3. In my past two Boracay visits, most of my stay was in Station 2 and Station 1 for the drinking and the restaurants. This trip made me appreciate Station 3. Since it was underrated, not a lot of people decide to stay there so we ended up having a really quiet shore--just exactly what we wanted for our sunkissed afternoons.

Almost always in my Boracay trips, there's the gig! :) I got to chance to sing an MYMP song, an Adele song and a Spandau Ballet song.

Define sun-kissed skin! Yup! That dark, I tell ya! <3

See how few people there were??? It was an April!!!

Okay, let's also acknowledge the fact that we had our trip from Monday to Wednesday. So summer parties and the party crowd were of course scheduled Thursday to Saturday. But still!!!

Tan? Achieved!

A night was spent in Epic of course. 

I think a Boracay visit is not anymore complete without a crazy night here.

We weren't really in a mood to drink, so we just decided to have a couple of Tanduay ices that night. (Previous night, Tequila.)  But we sure had to keep our alcohol consumption to a minimum because we're just three girls in this wild island. Nothing more exciting for predators than this perfect prey-combo. 

Now this is the after dance shot. Too hot inside the bar and yes, too many good looking guys. :))

Bohol with Family (May 2012)

Last year, I treated my family to a trip in Boracay. So there we went with our boyfriends. This summer, it was my sister's time to share and plan for our trip. And because this year, I'm single, I am of course the odd one out in this trip. Fifth wheel, yes.

This was my second visit in Bohol, so I wasn't much on the look out for the sights, but more on enjoying the company I was with (plus non-stop texting and Instagramming--oh this we can't deny HAHA).

Lunch with family in Bohol Beach Club

I call this the paparazzi shot because we had zero clue that our dad was taking a photo of us. He was really far from where we were. Thanks to his lens, such shot was possible. :))

Now this one was when we were looking at the starfish by the shore. 

  

You know it. In every beach trip, jump shots are essential. Hahaha!

Here's mom and dad.

Ate and Jay.

And the fifth wheel. Or if we'll count my romantic relationship with my cellphone, then we count that as the third pair.

One night was spent in Alona Beach, or what my dad called the Little Boracay of Bohol.
I never knew that part existed because we didn't visit that the last time dad and I were in the island.
For this night, Kuya Jay treated us dinner. SEAFOOD INDULGENCE I WAS SO HAPPY!!!!!!

I really have some sort of fascination over bamboo seats. This one was so pretty. It was stationed outside Alona Kew hotel, where I had an ocular visit for my supposed Bohol trip with Bebe.

The next day was spent touring the island. Most of the places we visited were ones that I already checked before. But the Hinagdanan cave was a new one, so that I really loved.

Our tour guide was some really funny local too so even if the tour was supposed to be a fast sighting, we had it long because he wanted to take a photo of us in every corner, every angle. He was awesome too because he kind of knew how to operate cameras. Or at least make things visible in the dark cave.

This was dad's awesome shot of the tarsier. Really really pretty.

But it was a bit sad that we now have less tarsiers than ever before. The last time I was in Bohol, there were a lot in the farm, but this time we only got to see around ten tarsiers.

Of course, the floating restaurant! :)

And like what we had in Boracay, we also did ATV in Bohol. 

Compared to what we had in Boracay, wherein we were in twos, so Kevin and I had to take turns driving, this time, each had one. And because I was feeling very adventurous, I loved how my dad told me to just press the gas harder when I'd approach big rocks. (It meant I was allowed to play it rough. AND ROUGH I PLAYED!!!) It was so fun. In every broken road, I didn't avoid it, I even went to it and kept my speed up. Ahh-mazing.

I know I hate how Koreans are overpopulating our country.

But of all the things they opened here, I think the ATV business is my favorite contribution of theirs.

Bataan with Nuffies / Montemar Beach Club (June 2012)
We've been really busy these past few months why it became a bit hard for us to schedule this trip. And with that said, a trip out of town was really needed to reboot our system. So yes, even though we were already approaching the rainy months, we still pushed this trip.

We had a really awesome bus, with twistable seats at the back, and two TV's. On the way to Bataan, we just spent the morning singing M2M and Backstreet Boys songs in the KTV. Lucky those with headphones, they were at peace. Unfortunately to those who did not have headphones, they had to endure our non-stop singing. Hahaha!

Not only did the bus have twistable seats, it also had this beautiful 'chandelier'!!

We had afternoon games that were really crazy. So crazy, I'm very happy we don't have pictures of them. They're not to be remembered. PLEASE. :)) Night time was spent swimming and drinking. We actually exchanged a legit dinner to bonding with the girls at the poolside.

Here's a photo with my buddy, Ria! :)

I love how everything was slow-paced. I wasn't really in the mood to get wasted and crazy so I slept a bit early that night. (Yup. I missed the crazy party in the other room.) The place was really beautiful, I just wanted to relax and enjoy the resort (plus the fact that I wasn't working LOL).

This was how the place looked like in the morning. 

And this was a bad shot of our room. Too untidy! Hahaha! Denise and I stayed in the loft. Grace and Maris stayed downstairs. Too bad they're an early waker, Denden and I woke up because they were talking really really loud at 5:30 am. 5:30 AM!!!!!!!! I thought it was just me, then I saw Denise up too. We went mad, we literally pulled our hair. :))

After breakfast, we played beach volleyball. It was my first time to play this by the shore. I've played frisbee last year in Boracay, but not this. I really enjoyed running around barefooted in the beach.

After the game, our arms hurt but we loved the pain. The waves, the texture of the sand--we really enjoyed the feel and sound of it. And even when it was already drizzling, we just went on with the game. Dang! I love remembering the experience.

Other trips

My other trips that didn't push through are:

1. Bohol Trip with Bebe. Our tickets were bought and booked November of last year and we were really supposed to go on the 7th of July til the 9th. Except Bebe had a family emergency so we had to cancel this.
2. Timothy Tiah's wedding in Malaysia. Okay, so I saved up for this and plotted this well in my calendar. But since one by one, my office mates suddenly couldn't go, I'm now missing the coolest wedding of the year. :( Oh well, just gotta have to bond with the boss when he visits Manila again.

I know my other trips could have made my July really really awesome, but man, I've gone to a lot. It's just but sane and fair to finally put this list of summer hurrah's to a close. 

Love that my summer 2012 is too sweet and very very well-spent. :)

I feel so blessed. <3

xo,
Jel