Hello Seoul

On the month of May, my family had the sudden impulse to travel. However, we couldn't reconcile all of our schedules so we decided to just have a quick out of country trip. Since it's summer, majority of the flights were booked. Our travel agent had the hardest time processing our visas, with just a week of notice, and booking our flights. We almost didn't push through with Seoul, so we had a back up flight to Singapore just in case. Thankfully, the day before our flight, we were also able to book a connecting flight to Hongkong after our Seoul trip and our Korean visas were released! Talk about timing! :)

Anyway, these photos are basically just a summary of our Korea trip.

Ready to fly!!

This is me - hoarding the window seat - yet again. 

We stayed in Myeong-Dong! This was taken outside of our hotel. It was definitely a good pick since majority of the shops we wanted to visit were there and N-Tower was just few blocks away!

2,500 Korean Won goodness! My siblings and I pretty much splurged on this every night! 

Myeong-Dong at night.

On our second day, we went on a trip to the Demilitarized Zone. It was so amazing seeing North Korea up close. Well, maybe not close, but definitely closer than being in South. We also trekked down tunnels dug by the North Koreans in an attempt to invade Seoul. 

We were also able to go to Seoul's train station to Panmunjom, North Korea, if ever there will be a reconciliation between the two in the near future.

After our visit to the DMZ. Oh, did I mention it was his 17th birthday too! My little brother's the luckiest. Every year, whenever we'd celebrate his birthday, we'd always be out of the country!

Myeong-Dong at night! It looks crowded, but once you're walking along the streets, the ambiance is pretty laid back and relaxed.

On our second day, we went to Lotte World. I took this picture to prove to Alba that 'bump cars' can also be called as 'bumper cars'. 

This was taken inside a hot air balloon. My knees were definitely shaking while the hot air balloon was going up.

Still in Lotte World! It was such a different experience as compared to Hongkong's Ocean Park.

On the fourth day, we went to the Gyeongbokgung Palace. It's so amazing finding a traditional palace in the middle of the city. In my opinion, it definitely adds touch to Korea's distinct ambiance. 

Lol, do we blend in now?

With my beautiful mother

 

And ofcourse, what's Korea without their Korean Barbeque! I kid you not, this was the best Samgyup I've ever tasted. 

Afterwards, we took a cable car to the Namsan Tower.

Look what I found the moment we got there! Love locks!

The view from Namsan Tower.

Another food I splurged on in Korea

There were so many pretty bow hair ties I couldn't stop myself from taking some home with me. 

This was taken on our way to the airport.

I'm truly thankful we got to visit Korea even just for five days. The country truly got me hooked with their culture. I loved that even though they were big on modernization, they still manage to keep their culture and tradition. I'm insanely in love with their history - involving, of course, North Korea. In addition to this, I also can't help but get hooked with their food! Korea is definitely one of the best countries I've been to, and I'm pretty sure my family and I will be back soon.

Legal all around

Guess who just celebrated her 21st birthday? Well, surprisingly, it's me. As hard as it may seem to believe (and trust me, I couldn't count the number of people who mistook me as a highschool student, still), my birth certificate actually stands firm on my birth date. I couldn't believe it myself. I sure as hell don't look 21. Nevertheless, I actually feel the pressure of being 21. Law school applications, senior year in college, this, that, etc. It seems like everything big happening on my life starts at this age.

Anyway,  I celebrated my birthday at Midas, just like last year's, with my family and my Alba.

Here's my tiny birthday cake, same as last year's. Haha, I guess tradition's hard to break, huh?

This is me! See what I mean about not looking like I'm 21?

With my bestfriend, my lover, my confidante, my everything :) He has this habit of spoiling me on my birthday. Haha, a day before my birthday, he took me on a day out and spoiled me every step of the way. He calls it my Princess Day. I'm so blessed to have this boy ♥

With my loving family, of course.

When we got home, V made me open his birthday presents to me! Here's what he wrote on my birthday card.

And his presents to me! I absolutely fell in love with the bag. He claims that I never have a "big enough" bag for my traveling, and he's right! I don't really like using big backpacks until now. Even my parents think he's spoiling me. He definitely knows my taste! :)

Lol, disregard my flipflops. He made me try it on! Here's what it looks like on me!

Lastly, polaroid snaps to complete the day. Those captions were written by him. Aren't I the luckiest girl ever? ♥

So yeah, that's how my birthday went. All I can say is cheers to this. Cheers to family. Cheers to friends. Cheers to Alba. Cheers to love. And lastly, cheers to life!

Six months and ten days later

"Melda! Aimee, Lea, Jejo!! Lea!!!"


In my old household, that's one phrase you'd hear quite a lot. Every single day, actually. It's funny. You'd think living with the same people for over twenty years would actually mean that the names of said people would forever be embedded on one's heart. Well, forever until old age creeps to one. So, before anything else, let me all tell you how hard this is for me. Hard in a sense that I don't have any single idea what to write, but it seems that I feel each and every emotion there is to feel about this. They say once you start writing, words just come to you. Well, not in this case.


Everyone, meet my Nanay. Ever since I was born, I have lived with her. I have shared my first bath, first meal, first step, first word, and many more uncountable other firsts with her. She was my yaya's matrona, our household's greatest cook ever, and the stingiest person I have ever known. Relatively speaking though.. She was my Grandmom, and she loved us all with all her heart.


It was during the World War II when my Grandmom and my Grandfather met. My Grandmom was one of the many people who tried her hardest to avoid the bad, and to save the good. And well, just like in every cliched love story, one of the good was my Grandfather. My Grandmom had saved her future husband and tended to his wounds. It wasn't that long until they fell in love with each other, and decided to get married just after the war finished. Together, my Grandmom and Grandfather had seven children together with their names starting from Amparo (My Grandmom), Benedicto (My Grandfather), Carmencita, Daniel, Enriquito, Florencito, Gavellana, Heidi, and Imelda (My Mother). I know what you're thinking. Although it is kind of funny, don't laugh. It's actually pretty clever for me. Anyway, have I mentioned they married when my Grandfather was just 17, and my Grandmom was 19? Wild right? But apparently, that's how it was back then. So as a young couple, one of the many crisis they overcame as a family was when my Grandmom had to sew thousands of clothes just so she can send my Grandfather to college. Imagine a teenage mom working on thousands of clothes to sew for the rich while she's tending on her kids and sending her husband to school. Hard? Well, repeat that six more times - Three of which (including my Grandfather and my mother) finished and passed the Board exam thus the CPA title, one finished Medicine and now owns of the biggest hospital in Washington, while the rest finished their degree in the University of The Philippines and got their Masterals abroad.  Imagine.. All that from a single, bony, stingy lady I call my Nanay? She was a superwoman.


Years later, my siblings and I entered her life. While my parents were building their own careers, my siblings and I were stuck under my Grandmom's care. Through those years, my siblings and I have created a special bond with our Grandmom not even our aunt and aunties have. Though it pains me so much sometimes, I remember a lot. I remember playing horse with her beloved sofa, and you know what she'd do? She'd just let the annoying little me be. She'd always prefer us to stay inside rather than to go out. She had the patience of a god. I remember arguing with her every day for the whole summer of my middle school life, just because I didn't want to take my afternoon naps. She'd get mad at me then, but would eventually get me to sleep anyway. I remember running away from her whenever she'd scare us with her ever so famous baseball bat when my siblings and I would do something so incredibly foolish but amazing for a ten year old. I remember going to the wet market with her, and how she'd ask for a special discount price cause she's a (*quote*) valued customer (*unquote*) . I remember her chasing after and eventually shouting at my old fat bus driver, just cause he'd always make me sit on something hot.. which eventually got me confined in the hospital. I remember her making me drink all of her teas on one local family trip just cause my stomach was all upset. I remember her giving me an exact Php 1000 bill so that I can go shopping before my flight to Vancouver, Canada. I remember her giving my siblings and I twenty bucks everyday for school in addition to what my parents give us. I remember her cooking all of my favorite food whenever I'm sick. I remember her holding my hand and staring at me intently.. Not talking, but just staring.. As if she can't believe I grew up to be the girl I am today. And though it hurts, I feel the need to tell you that that was the last time I saw her warm and alive. Most importantly, I remember her telling my siblings and I how much she loves us.. Perhaps not everyday, but on special occasions and once every quarter moon.


I'd describe her now as something, but I feel like every single word that comes to me right now doesn't really compensate to what she was. How exactly do you regard someone whom you'd never thought you'd lose? I know everyone dies, but to her, it never came to me that one day, she'd pass away. Though it hurts so much that she's gone, I know that I will always carry her with me. So here I am.. Six months and ten days later.. Trying to type all these jumbled thoughts in my head. I thought as time passes by, everything becomes easier. But what I have come to realize is that pain doesn't really go away.. We just learn to live with it. Up to this day, whenever I'd think of her, I feel as if she's still alive somewhere. Somewhere, but alive. And in a way, I know it's true. She's alive up there guarding over all of us.


I still can't find all the right words to say now, but I'll leave it to this: Thank you for everything, Nanay. I love you always. 

The Big Fat Twenty

(Warning: This may be a photo heavy post)

You don't have any idea how horrifying it is to realize that in a few years, I would be paying the bills on my birthday celebrations. The horror!! I realized this yesterday, right when the waitresses of Midas Cafe sang me a very joyous rendition of the birthday song. I was internally cringing, not because I didn't appreciate it cause I did. I really did! They even gave me the yummiest cheesecake that wasn't a part of their buffet line up. Back to the topic, I was internally cringing because of the attention. Imagine the hotel being cozy - what with the quiet ambiance and all.. Politicians were having their coffee meetings, and some other private people were enjoying their 'relax' time, when all of a sudden, this loud music overwhelmed the floor and the waitresses cramped up to our table!! Shock would be an under-statement. I avoided restaurant places for a reason. Horrifying, but nevertheless, it warmed my heart. A girl only turns 20 once, right?

Moving on, just like what I have mentioned earlier, In a few years.. I'll be shouldering my own birthday expenses!!!!! Cue exclamations!!!! The horror! I can't possibly be dependent on my parents for my entire life. I have to start somewhere. So with this entry comes the things I have to achieve or I would love to be by the time I'm done with this decade.

1. To graduate as an Entrepreneurial student as soon as possible in DLSU.
2. To finish Law and pass the Bar exam.
3. To roam around the world with my family, and to go to different places with Alba and my girls like planned.
4. To take Masters abroad (Maybe yes, maybe no. No promises.)
5. Give back to my parents all the love and sacrifice.
6. To be happily married with Alba (Too cheesy? Hehe)

That's it. Cheers to direction!! Anyway, my twentieth birthday celebration was probably one of the most fun birthdays I've ever celebrated. But then, I told myself the same thing a year ago, so.. The point would be funny (yes, there is such phrase). I spent the morning bumming around the house since I didn't have classes. I meditated and meditated, until I fell asleep.. and dreamed beautiful dreams.. Okay, maybe not. Alba came over and he made me open his birthday present to me infront of my parents. What a bad idea that was!!!! I almost jumped on him out of glee and pure bliss! His birthday present to me was, hands down, one of the best birthday presents I've ever received!! Plus, I know for a fact that he worked really hard for my present. That boy seriously knows the way to my heart. :-) Thinking of it now still makes me smile. And by smile, I meant the biggest no-poise smile!!!

This made me smile heaps!! We have this thing about packaging. Whenever I'd give him a present, it's always properly and beautifully wrapped. :-)
And tadahhh!! A Choco Fuji Instax Mini 7s!! ♥♥♥

So there you have it! Who wouldn't squeel, right? I was so happy, I didn't even realize that I shouted! Haha. My mom even got curious cause I couldn't contain my happiness. When I asked him why he got me a Polaroid camera, he told me that we watched this movie a long time ago, and the one of lead character kept on using her camera, and according to him, I kept on gushing about how awesome it is. Haha. Wow. I can't believe he remembers those things, but apparently, he does! :-) Anyway, afterwards, V and I figured out the manuals, then we headed to Midas Hotel for my birthday dinner with the family.

With my Five years late nerdy twin :-) I love him so much, I force him to let me sleep in his room whenever I'm scared! Hehe, kidding. But seriously. Despite his occasional tantrums, I couldn't ask for a better brother.
This is when the people from Midas surprised me. Hehe. Look at me intently staring at my cake. It's a love affair!! ♥
My birthday cake :-) Hehe. A+ for the presentation!! Too bad we didn't get to finish it. We were all too full from the buffet!
Family photo :-) Hehe, love love love these people to bits. ♥
We abused Alba's birthday gift to me :-) Yay for polaroids!! (And btw, yes. I was just casually wearing a sweater.. Hehe.)
Another polaroid :-) I wanted to show my mom and dad how it works so we had a picture taken using my newest baby love :-)
Mom, Alba, and the birthday girl!! Hehe. I'm so happy my mom totally adores Alba. What's not to adore, anyway?
Look who we bumped into!! My gorgeous friend Chum :-)
With my siblings! Hehe. I love how despite everything, we can still be sweet and mushy to each other. :-)
My boy proudly posing with his birthday gift to me. ♥
And ofcourse, me!! Love love my new toy :-)
You know I'll be your life, your voice, your reason to be. My love, my heart is breathing for this. ♥♥♥

After my birthday dinner, we then headed home. The car trip home was intensely funny and sweet. We were all reminiscing stories from our childhood and telling them to V, while V was holding my hand. I loved it. It was one of those moments when I realized that all I have and treasure in this life is right within my grasp. I was so happy.. No. Happy is an understatement. It was blissful. When we got home, V, my mom, and I had small talks that warmed my heart, then V went home.

If this is what being twenty would always feel like, I'd gladly take it. So cheers to me for being twenty. Cheers to my God for always being amazing to me. Cheers to my mom for giving birth to me, and to my dad for never failing to provide me with my wants and needs. Cheers to siblings who would always have my back. Cheers to my best friend who loves me unconditionally.

And lastly, cheers to life, love, happiness, and being twenty.