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Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Multiply Banned in UAE

Yesterday, Multiply has been banned in UAE. I was utterly speechless and dismayed. Our main concern at the moment is that the website URLs we have submitted to the Australian Immigration in Dubai were our Multiply accounts where we have uploaded all our wedding and honeymoon photos. The only site that they can view our wedding photos is in the Wedding Announcer site. But then the stories of the wedding, honeymoon and our vaycay in the Phils are all in my Multiply site.


*Sigh*. Bwisit talaga.

Habang tumatagal lalong pahirap ng pahirap ang buhay long distance namin. Sa Multiply na nga lang kami minsan nagkikita ni husband, na-block pa sa UAE. Hindi namin ugali ang mag-email sa isa’t-isa araw-araw, Makita ko lang na mag-view sya sa multiply ko ng isang beses isang araw, masaya na ako.

I wish whoever in UAE blocked Multiply would take back their decision.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Inspiring Message from One of Our Principal Sponsors

One of our Ninongs gave a speech during our wedding reception and he was kind enough to hand over to us his speech, which he had typed on paper, before the wedding celebration ended. I'm sharing it here on my blog as I want to immortalize his inspiring words that night.

-o0o-

Good evening to everyone.

Chris and I were together in the Marketing Support Division of East West Bank, not so long ago. I know Chris to be a quiet, humble and very talented person. We were fortunate to have him in our group because he surely made a lot of things easier, with his creative talent in producing our marketing communication materials.

Chris kept true to form with his being low-key and soft-spoken, because I didn't even know that he was courting Ivy, who at that time was holding office in a different building across Makati. And boy was I surprised when I learned that they were already on and dating. I guess Chris' being quiet, humble yet effective in getting things done (just like how he got Ivy), manifested how the rest of us in Marketing Support Division were like--low-key, but hardworking.

Chris' and Ivy's love for each other has surpassed the test of time and distance being so far away from each other for over a year. Here are two people, whose love for each other even became stronger to the point of committing their lives together in Holy Matrimony, in spite of being separated from each other. Perhaps the secret to this is the foundation of their love, which started from friendship and their longing for companionship.

This reminds me of what my son said in his tribute to his Lolo (my father-in-law) last December when his Lolo celebrated his 90th birthday--and I quote, "A sage advice that was given to me once about love was to pick a suitable partner to be your companion for the rest of your life. A pretty face inevitably sags, and sexual passion inescapably cools down. Yet friendship and companionship grow stronger with time. Maybe the secret to attaining old age, achieving long marriages, and even beating disease is having a good companion."

To Chris and Ivy, congratulations and best wishes. May you share a very long life together in wedded bliss.

Cheers!

(Ninong) Ferdie La Chica

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Happy Tired

I've had a long week, a very challenging long week. I'm tired, my back is aching at the moment but I'm happy. Happy tired. Content and at peace.

I started my week with a very bad cold, fighting my illness with water. Tuesday came and lo, water isn't doing much for me, so I had to take medicine. Inspite feeling dazed, I still met up with Hilda and watched Harry Potter the 5th with her. I slept over her place which did good because it wasn't so cold where she lives. Wednesday and Thursday, I had fever but still came to work. It so happened that this was one of those important weeks in the office and I just can't afford to miss a day at work. Friday, I was feeling better, no more fever, but still a bit dizzy with all the drugs inside my body. And to top it all, Friday became the most important day in my week as I had to make a "presentation" at 3pm. Imagine, that was my last hour at work! I thought the fates were playing a game on me. More about the "presentation" as soon as I know the outcome.

Saturday, I felt much better. No more drinking medicine! :) I guess, I'm really charmed this week! I got a slot in the clinic to get my facial warts cauterized. My grandma, Tita Bess and Tito Andy was supposed to go, but the last minute thing that happened was Tita Andy had to work, so Tita Bess offered the slot to me. What luck! Although I wanted to stay at home and rest but what the heck? I got a spot and it's for free! Oh well, the medicated creams aren't but the procedure was, so yay! So now I look like I have 5 chickenpox sores on my face hahaha. No worries, it'll be gone next week.

Sunday, today! My reason for having a backache was because I did housekeeping in my room for about 5 hours. My room still looks like a storage warehouse but it's a decent warehouse :). I still have our kitchenwares and diningwares inside the room but it looks more orderly now. Plus, I was able to sort out stuff I don't need anymore like documents, newspapers, magazines that takes a lot of space inside the cabinets. And I was able to organize my closet too! I feel so peaceful inside my un-cluttered room :).

The start of my week was bad. I was physically ill and emotionally tired of things going on in my so-called life. But with a lot of positive thinking, friends being there for me, my parents texting me almost everyday and my husband calling me in the wee hours of the morning just to make sure I'm still sane, I made it thru this week. In my darkest moments, my belief that things are still falling into place never wavers because I keep my eyes and heart open to the blessings that still come my way. Yes, there may be dark days but blessings still come to those who believe in the positive.

The Interview Tag

Want to know more about me? Just send 5 questions my way and I'll gladly answer them.

Want to be interviewed by me? Let me know and I'll send you 5 questions to be answered on your blog. See the Interview Rules on the lower portion of this post.

Below is my online interview with
Toni:

1. What is the best thing about being married?
The best things are always the simple things for me. Having a partner who supports my dreams (even if he doesn’t agree to my ideas sometimes), a best friend who listens to my happy chatter or lonely whims, a playmate who discovers new things with me, and a husband who assures me that thru good and bad times he will always be there to hold my hand.

2. What were your academic achievements?
Best in Deportment during Elementary years. Dean’s Lister in College.

3. If you were a kind of chocolate, what chocolate would you be?
I’d be a Lindt White Chocolate hahaha. Looks tough on the outside, but smooth and rich in sweetness on the inside.

4. What is one thing you know now that you wish you had known at age 16?
To always follow my heart and not be pressured by family’s expectations.

5. If you had super powers, would you be a hero or a sidekick? Tell us about your choice.
I’d be a hero because I am independent and don’t mind working alone.

Interview rules:

1. Leave me a comment saying “Interview me.”

2. I will respond by emailing/replying back five questions to you. I get to pick the questions.

3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Affirmation on a Friday

I will be

in my element

and

SHINE!

I will not only

reach for the star,

I will be the

STAR!

Friday, July 27, 2007

You Comment, IReply Movement

I love receiving comments! Your comments on my posts gives me a happy and warm feeling--it makes my day!

I really appreciate anyone who's written a thing or two about what I've posted on my sites. My way of saying thank you is by replying to your comments, private messages and emails.

To let everyone know that all comments/messages/emails will be answered and appreciated, I've posted an IReply logo on this site.

Ready, get set, comment! ---comment and let the discussion roll!

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Disclosure Policy

This policy is valid from 25 June 2008

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact ibyang1214@yahoo.com.

This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

This blog abides by word of mouth marketing standards. We believe in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post will be clearly identified as paid or sponsored content.

The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.
To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org/

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Bad Cold

I’m sick. I’m suffering from a very bad cold. My nostrils are all clogged up with you know what. I feel like my head is as big as the moon and it’s aching too. I’ve been sneezing all morning. My workmate Ann told me I look awful and advised me to go home. I told her I don’t want to go home because it’s warmer in the office than at home. Yes, the only reason why I go to work these days is because there’s free central heating here. And anyway, I don’t have fever (yet), so why should I stay home???

And it’s just not me to stay home and wallow just because of a cold. All the more that I would feel helpless, desperate, lonely, and all other negative feelings you can think of, if I stay in bed. At least at work, I feel useful and needed. Work is my reason for trying to be well. Wow, corny! I’m probably hallucinating now.

In times of these, I’m getting drunk on water! Water now and forever! :)

I believe that water will help me hydrate.
I believe that water will take my headache away.
I believe that water will unclog my runny nose.
I believe that water will prevent me from having a fever.
I believe that water will help me survive the day.

Okay, this sounds like an affirmation or something, but i'm really a fan of water. Water is my savior!

On other news, I've uploaded some photos from this weekend's happenings (Yum Cha!!! & Pinoy na Pinoy na Birthday). My weekend was all about celebrating birthdays so it's relative to food. My food highlights was eating pork bun (at the chinese resto) and manggang hilaw (at Tito Raul's birthday) last Saturday. Chinese and Pinoy Cuisine at its finest!

Saturday, July 21, 2007

6 Months of Finding Home



Deep in your eyes is a promise
Love can be ours if we want it
Starting tonight ev'ry dream
I ever knew
Here in your arms I'm believing
Fin'lly my life has a meaning of its own
Here in the land of loving I am home.



I was alone in the city
Searchin' for someone to find me
Cold empty nights and
A million strangers' eyes
Here in your arms
I'm beginning
To leave behind all the loneliness I knew
Here in the land of loving there is you.






In this simple room magic is made
Though the world seems unchanged
Leave the lights on I'm a bit afraid
This might be just a sweet dream.






Deep in the night love is growing
Though I had no way of knowing
That when I found you I found ev'rything I need
Here in your love I'll be staying
Fin'lly my life won't be living all alone
Here in the land of the loving I am home.






Home Sweet Home.

Text from the lyrics of "Land of the Loving" by David Benoit
For our prenup photos, please click here: Chris & Ivy Wedsite Spin Off

Friday, July 20, 2007

Calls From 4 Different Places, My Lindt White

5:40am - My beloved from Dubai called for a short chitchat, according to him he was trying to get sleepy. We talked about some bank tsismis (we used to work for a bank in Makati but we're updated with banking industry gossip because we keep in touch with our friends)--hah! What a conversation. Nag-tsismisan lang kami.

8:00am - I called my mom to say happy birthday! (i love you mommy, happy birthday again!). My mom's itinerary today was to hang out at Megamall with my mother-in-law. Oh ha? Bonding ang magbalae. Very happy to know that my mom found a friend in Chris' mom. I'm so blessed with a very kind and generous mother-in-law, she extends her love for me to my family. I'm so lucky to have her for a mother-in-law.

10:30am - My cousin Nicky from Japan called to tell me that he and his fiancee are fine. Due to a recent earthquake in Japan, the whole clan was worried. Thank God they're unharmed. We talked for awhile, updated him with our plans of travel. If things go well in the future, we will visit them soon in Japan. *Sana, sana, sana matuloy talaga*

11:15am - My friend Larry called me because he was bored (haha). Usapang photography at videography naman ito. Entertaining and educational at the same time.


Don't you feel so alive when someone calls you? I mean how many people really do that nowadays? Call you for no special reason???

This morning, I was feeling a bit sentimental because I'm not in Manila for my mom's birthday BUT since I was able to talk to her and I received three calls today, I feel as if it's my birthday too! :) Today, these were my gifts.


On a lighter note, I also celebrated my mom's birthday today--here in Sydney. On my way to work, I stopped by the grocery store and bought myself a Lindt White Chocolate (my most favorite chocolate in the world). I will eat my Lindt til tomorrow in celebration of our 6th wedding monthsary --double celebration, 1 chocolate bar! Cost-effective! :P

In my own little way and in my heart, I get to celebrate with my loved ones even in spirit.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Lunch with J (17 July 2007)

Had a wonderful lunch with J yesterday. J is my workmate from one of the provincial areas in NSW and she's here this week for training. We did a lot of catching up because we haven't really sat down and talked about our respective weddings.



When I arrived from Manila, she was very happy to see some of my wedding photos and assumed that seeing my photos were good omen. After a few weeks, her significant other proposed to her!!! :) She had a beautiful wedding by the lake in May this year.



For more photos, please click here.

A Lesson on Hotel Hunting

When asking a hotel attendant if their standard rooms have windows, you might also want to ask if it opens.

I have a participant in training that’s particularly claustrophobic and would like to have windows in the room and preferably, windows that open.

So I called hotel number 1 and asked, “Does your standard rooms have windows?”

And she answered, “Yes we do have windows inside the rooms but it doesn’t open”.

So obviously, their windows are just for decoration????

And then came the offer, “but we do have rooms with balcony that you have to pay an extra $45.00”

Wow! Okay sa marketing diba?

Anyway, I called hotel number 2, and the hotel attendant almost laughed (I swear he was about to) when I asked, “But does your windows open?”

Fortunately, yes!

Today, I learned a lesson on hotel hunting and my trainee will now have a place to stay.

My Affirmation Today

(image source)

Today is another
wonderful day,
I will
only focus on happy thoughts.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Travelling Tips



Although travelling can be the most exhilarating thing in the world, it is never that easy. There are so many things to consider when travelling. I’ve had my share of travel booboos so I’ve come up with some travelling to-dos that Chris and I try to practice whenever we travel.

Research and study. Get to know the place you will go to before heading off. Go to bookstores and scan travel books. Surf online to know about the culture, sights, food, weather and what else to expect of the place. Learn the country’s basic language if you can. This activity will also determine if you will need to join a group tour or not.




Buy a Guide Map. It would be better if you buy a map at least two weeks before (or even way ahead of) travel for you to be able to study it and plan your itinerary. You can also download maps online if you don’t want to spend money on maps.
Map of Singapore from Lonely Planet


Make a travel checklist. Make a list of your To-dos Before Leaving and Things to Bring so that packing your stuff won’t be so tedious. Your list will also help you avoid last minute shopping before you’re off to your dream destination.

Make a list of things you need and want to buy. It’s very tempting to be impulsive when travelling so I make sure that I have a list to focus on. My needs list is usually pasalubong for family and friends while my wants lists are stuff that I plan to buy should I have extra money left.

Learn the art of packing your things. You can’t just put everything inside your bag and say “that’s it”. You need to know how to pack things that are breakable and fragile. You need to know that putting clothes inside your shoes will prevent it from creases. You need to know that there are ways to fold clothes that will save space inside your luggage.


Travel light. If you plan to do a lot of shopping in your place of destination, all the more that you have to travel light. I usually bring just the essentials when I travel. I don’t bring too much clothes, shoes, makeup and accessories. I only bring clothes I know I wouldn’t have time to shop for like bathing suits and evening dresses and a couple of shirts. If there’s still some room inside my luggage, I put rolls of tissue to fill in the gaps, so my luggage would still look stuffed.
Send a package ahead. This is usually applicable to people going back to their mother country. This is more convenient than negotiating with check-in officers in airports, more cost-effective because airports will make you pay a ridiculous amount when you have excess luggage and more stress-free because you don’t have to drag yourself around the airport with a heavy luggage.

Bring a tripod. It will save you time asking strangers to take photos of you. The first time we brought a tripod, we had more fun capturing photos. It meant more poses, more photo opportunities and less camera shakes.


Bring a pen and paper at all times. This has always been a must for me because I tend to forget things. My bag usually contains a small planner, Post it notepads, an ordinary pen and a sign pen. While waiting for flights or sitting down for a meal, I make it a point to write down everything that transpired for the last couple of hours. Post it notes are for important reminders or notes to stick on our guide map.

Buy universal adaptors for your electronic devices. I recommend the 5 Outlet World Power Suppressor (see photo). This will likely work in most parts of the world (Europe, Australia, Asia, America). The number of adaptors you buy will depend on how many electronic devices you have with you while you travel. For us, we make sure we have at least three adaptors. At night we usually plug in two devices (digicam and videocam), the third adaptor is our spare just in case we misplaced one. We don’t want to waste time buying adaptors while travelling.



Invest on extra digicam and/or videocam batteries. This will save you a lot of panic attacks when you see your cameras shouting “lowbat!” especially when most of your travelling is spent outdoors.

Confirm flight schedule at least two days before flying. There might be changes in the flight itinerary and they also need to know that you will really get on that flight you paid for. If on the day of travel some emergency happens, call your travel agent or the airline office ASAP so you can rebook your ticket. In some airlines, a no-show would mean no refund.

Know your luggage weight limit. The usual check-in luggage weight limit is 20 kilos per person, in some airlines its 30 kilos—it really depends on the airline and destination. Your hand carry luggage should not exceed 7 kilos. For extra kilos, there is a fee that you have to pay and it’s usually in US dollars.


Put your valuables in one bag and always have that bag with you wherever you go. Valuables would mean passport, tickets, cash, camera, medicine, important documents, etc.

Be mindful of your things. I’ve heard a lot of horror stories of travellers losing their bags and valuables so when I travel, I try to stay focus and mindful of the things going on around me. If Chris and I travel together, we usually watch each other’s back and we always count the number of bags we have. While inside the airport, we try to concentrate on the all the processes we go thru (check-in & check-out of luggage, customs, connecting flights, announcements, forms we need to fill in, etc).


Keep receipts or tickets of purchases you made. This is very useful if you need to know where your money went during travel, and this will be your reference when you receive your credit card statement. Receipts and tickets can also be used as souvenirs.


Explore, explore, explore. Unless you’re in the jungle or mountains, don’t be afraid to get lost in the crowd. Most tourist spots are user-friendly with directions and arrows pointing you where to go. Don’t be shy to ask for directions from strangers. With the right perspective, getting lost in a foreign land can be fun and exciting.


When in Rome, do what the Romans do. Short of saying, follow rules and regulations of the country you’re staying at the moment of travel. Saying “Sa Pilipinas hindi naman ganito eh” would get you into more trouble. This phrase also encourages you to immerse yourself in the country’s culture, when you do what they do, you learn more.

Buy something that will remind you of your travel. For little things, I normally buy refrigerator magnets or photo frames with the place’s name on it as a souvenir. For big things, I always buy a piece of jewellery so that when I wear that certain necklace or bracelet, I would be reminded of my stay in that place.


I’m sure there’s still a lot more tips out there so if you can think of any, please feel free to add them up here. Should I have any more tips, I’ll surely post them later.

Happy travelling!

Monday, July 16, 2007

Treats as Surprise Blessings

Treats are surprise blessings given by other people to you or rewards that you give yourself.

This past week I had a lot of treats:

I was able to eat ice cream cake in celebration of my cousin Rachel's birthday last 10 July:

1st: Rachel about to blow her 1-5 candle (that is the ice cream cake that we ate)

2nd: Patrick playing PSP, Me, Clare and Rachel

I was able to eat dinner at Hi-Lights Revolving Restaurant at Workers Blacktown last 12 July as Rachel's post birthday celebration:

Overlooking Blacktown

The T-bone steak i had for dinner (yum!)

The four of us again :)

Our Team Leader treated us to Krispy Kreme donuts for afternoon tea last Friday:

After a long week of hard work, isn't this such a lovely, sweet treat???? A really nice way to end the week.

And yesterday, I gave myself a treat, too...i finally found the time to go out with myself and so i went to the salon and got myself a haircut:

Short hair na uli ako!!!

How about you? What are the treats or surprise blessings that you received lately?

In any form, in any way, whomever it came from, don't forget to thank the one who gave a treat or surprise blessing to you. It need not be big, it's all a matter of being grateful of small blessings that come your way.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

An Essay on Ending Chapters

A few years back, I had a hard time dealing with change and goodbyes. However, little by little, my discipline as a Trainer/HR Practitioner and life in general has taught me that change signify new beginnings and better things coming into our life. As I face the challenges of being a woman and wife today, I now embrace change and look forward to new beginnings. I now believe that with every closing door, there are windows (or even new doors) that will be opened for you.

Below is an inspiring essay by Paolo Coehlo on ending chapters and moving on.

Closing Cycles
By Paolo Coelho

One always has to know when a stage comes to an end. If we insist onstaying longer than the necessary time, we lose the happiness and the meaning of the other stages we have to go through.

Closing cycles, shutting doors, ending chapters.

Whatever name we give it, what matters is to leave in the past the momentsof life that have finished. Did you lose your job? Has a loving relationship come to an end? Did you leave your parents' house? Gone tolive abroad? Has a long-lasting friendship ended all of a sudden?

You can spend a long time wondering why this has happened. You can tell yourself you won't take another step until you find out why certain thingsthat were so important and so solid in your life have turned into dust, justlike that.

But such an attitude will be awfully stressing for everyone involved: your parents, your husband or wife, your friends, your children, your sister,everyone will be finishing chapters, turning over new leaves, getting onwith life, and they will all feel bad seeing you at a standstill.

None of us can be in the present and the past at the same time, not even when we try to understand the things that happen to us. What has passed will not return: we cannot forever be children, late adolescents, sons that feel guilt or rancor towards our parents, lovers who day and night relive anaffair with someone who has gone away and has not the least intention ofcoming back.

Things pass, and the best we can do is to let them really go away. That is why it is so important (however painful it may be!) to destroy souvenirs,move, give lots of things away to orphanages, sell or donate the books youhave at home. Everything in this visible world is a manifestation of the invisible world, of what is going on in our hearts and getting rid ofcertain memories also means making some room for other memories to taketheir place.

Let things go. Release them. Detach yourself from them. Nobody plays this life with marked cards, so sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. Do notexpect anything in return, do not expect your efforts to be appreciated,your genius to be discovered, your love to be understood. Stop turning on your emotional television to watch the same program over and over again, theone that shows how much you suffered from a certain loss: that is onlypoisoning you, nothing else.

Nothing is more dangerous than not accepting love relationships that are broken off, work that is promised but there is no starting date, decisionsthat are always put off waiting for the ideal moment. Before a new chapteris begun, the old one has to be finished: tell yourself that what has passed will never come back. Remember that there was a time when you couldlive without that thing or that person. Nothing is irreplaceable. A habitis not a need. This may sound so obvious, it may even be difficult, but it is very important.

Closing cycles. Not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simplybecause that no longer fits your life. Shut the door, change the record,clean the house, shake off the dust. Stop being who you were, and change into who you are.

Post Wedding Questions

There are still quite a number of questions being asked about our wedding and my wedding experience so in order to share and help other bride-to-bes out there in preparing for their big moment, I will share my answers here.

Questions are not in order and names of those who've asked were not mentioned due to privacy reasons. Some I have answered personally or via email.

How long was your gown train?
4 meters

Nasaan na yung gown mo?
My gown is back with Cecil. After the wedding, Chris brought the gown to him for drycleaning but since I don't have space to put my gown here, I haven't picked them up. Hopefully next year, I'll be able to bring it home.

What were you thinking when you walked down the aisle?
My walk down the aisle was very psychological for me, in the sense that my walk down the aisle had a lot of meanings. Pinaghandaan ko talaga ang paglakad ko sa araw ng kasal ko. Before walking down the aisle I told myself "when I walked down that aisle, it will be a symbol of taking that leap of faith, a symbol of courage to commit my life to my husband, when I walked down that aisle, walang bawian na talaga."

During my walk down the aisle, my other thought was I had to keep it together coz my most loved persons in the room were all teary-eyed. I felt I had the biggest responsibility of having the strength to keep my parents, chris's mom and chris from breaking down. I knew their tears imply joy and nostalgia but I really don't want tears during that moment. So I tried my best not to cry in order to make light of the dramatic air.

When will the guestlist ever be final?
The guest list will never be final. There will always be an additional person, there will always be fallouts even on the day of the wedding.

Two weeks before the wedding, I told my coordinator to stop calling guests for RSVP. Our rationale was that the people that got an invite already has a place in our wedding. I don't care if they attend or not. Basta ang point namin, we invited them kasi mahal namin sila. Gusto naming ipadama sa mga kapamilya at kaibigan namin na importante sila sa araw ng kasal namin, regardless kung mag-RSVP sila o hindi. One thing I learned about this, if they are true friends of yours, they will attend no matter what or at least make an effort to call kung hindi sila makakarating.

And since we stopped RSVP-ing, a week before the wedding I told the coordinator to add two tables for those who will be bringing additional people just to be sure that those extra people will still have a place to seat in the reception.


Who made all your wedding paraphernalias?
Chris did all the designs for the wedding. I helped in the conceptualization in some but he was really the one that had the vision on how the wedding designs would look like.

Who was more detailed, you or Chris?
Chris was more detailed than me, more of a perfectionist, more quality-based.

And what were you then?
I focused more on planning and strategizing. I'm more results-based so when i think of a concept, the first thing I think about is the impact of the concept. Ang tingin ko sa wedding namin ay parang production number na dapat mag-cater at mag-click sa lahat ng guests.

Tips on choosing a makeup artist?
Find a makeup artist that will listen to you before putting makeup on you.

My rule on bridal make up was this: when i show my wedding photos to my kids, my kids would automatically know that it's me. I told my makeup artist not to camouflage my face. I told her not to hide my imperfections by putting layers and layers of foundation and concealer. I even told her not to make my eyes smaller (coz that's what most makeup artists do to my eyes coz it's big daw). I'm glad I found a makeup artist that listens coz I wanted to look as natural as possible, ayoko talagang magbago ang face ko nang dahil lang sa wedding.

Did you have thank you cards made?
Yes, we did. I didn't want to but Chris insisted that we have TY cards printed as well.

How soon do you give out thank you cards?
Thank you cards should be given at least a month after the wedding. This is one rule of etiquette that we haven't followed. Since Chris and I are apart for now, it's hard to do post wedding stuff but as soon as we got settled in together, we will prioritize this. We hope our families and friends would understand the delay of the thank you cards.

How much does your whole wedding cost?
This is the one question that we will never answer.

If you were to change anything on your wedding day, what would it be?
Nothing. Hindi ako naniniwala na pwede pang ulitin ang mga pangyayari kaya hindi ko na inisip pa ang mga bagay na dapat baguhin sa mga nangyari na. After the wedding, I wanted to move on as soon as possible.

Is honeymoon a must after the wedding?
Yes. it doesn't matter where or how short the honeymoon is. Think of the honeymoon as a reward to both of you---you need it to de-stress yourselves from the wedding. You need to de-stress because you will face new responsibilities when the wedding is over.

Is it a must to bring a tripod when honeymooning?
Yes. It will save you the time asking people to take a photo of you two. Dagdag dalahin ang tripod sa pag-byahe pero worth it.

Gawa na ba ang wedding album at video nyo?
Hindi pa. We haven't finalized the stuff we need to submit to our main photo/video team that's why they have no output yet. This is another task in our post wedding activities we haven't done. Malamang next year na namin ito makukuha. That's why we had some of the photos uploaded on online so that families and friends can view it.

so there. i really don't have much to say about our wedding nowadays but i do appreciate family and friends who email or ask me personally of details. maraming maraming salamat po!

Friday, July 13, 2007

Princess Hours/Goong

This is what's keeping me busy for the past two weeks...


Here are the reasons why i braved chinatown twice (not once, but twice!) in the cold, cold weather just to have a box set of this:
  • the story is entertaining, has lots of funny scenes, not much drama compared to other koreanovelas

  • great production with well thought of concepts
  • awesome cinematography, i love their play of colors in each scene
  • graphically enhanced editing
  • the musical scoring is exceptional with beautiful love songs to make some scenes more "kilig"



Have you seen the bears???
I love them!

My Mom and my cuzin were laughing at me because this koreanovela has made me a fan. I like watching koreanovela but I wasn't as enthusiastic as before. Watching it is something that I put off most of the time. Although i do like lovers in paris and winter sonata, but once I've watched them, I'm done. now, I will honestly say that I love this series up to the point of checking it out on youtube (may tagalog version and MTVs dun eh) and checking out their sites on the internet for production photos and comics version (yes, pati comics version). And take note, one of the things I love about this series are the songs, so everyday I play their OST in my ipod.
Am I crazy??? I guess I am but then, it makes me happy, so what? :)
To all you fanatics, check this site: http://english.tour2korea.com/02Culture/TVMiniseries/goong.asp?kosm=m2_6&konum=1

And there's talks of doing Goong 2, so hopefully they'd do it.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Having a Full Weekend

Like any other busy woman, I cherish my weekends and make sure that I get to spread out my time to the different facets of my life. More often than not, two days are always never enough--BUT it's all a matter of managing my time wisely or somehow scheduling events accordingly and at the same being flexible as possible. Here's my list for this past weekend:


Personal: watched "Princess Hours" during my free time or after finishing my chores at home; started reading a new book


Spiritual: attended anticipated mass last saturday


Familial: was able to talk to Chris Friday and Saturday night; called my parents Sunday morning; I cooked lunch and dinner for my relatives at home (chicken schitznel and menudo) yesterday.


Social: organized a welcome lunch for Tomas (Ara's husband from the phils) last Saturday and got to hang out with my friends at Hilda's place.


Physical: I ate a very healthy lunch last Saturday and I did housework so that became my exercise for the weekend...i also did a lot of walking last Saturday on the way to Hilda's place, plus I got to sleep in yesterday.

I love weekends such as these, when you almost have time for everything and for everyone, including yourself. Although sometimes I appreciate having weekends that I won't be required to go out, however, having a full weekend isn't so bad at all.

Hope everyone had a great weekend too!

Friday, July 6, 2007

his emails make me laugh =D

Ang email na sinulat ng ngo-ngo....


June 11, 2007
Hi ey-i ('Baby' as spoken by a ngo-ngo)
Musta na i-aw?
Musta na owling nyo? Wala lang, iss lang ki-ah eh. (musta na bowling nyo? wala lang miss kita eh)
Lah u, lah u!
Iss yu so mut! wah!




Ang email na sinulat ng pabaliktad...


July 5, 2007

!ybab iH

?waki an astum
.gnal alaw
.worromot llac ruoy rof taiw lliW
!u vul u vul !hawM !hcum os uoy ssiM

"We cannot really love anybody without whom we never laugh." - Alice Reppler

Love Links


Family and Friends


Sites That Inspire


Blogosphere Friends



If you have linked me up in your site, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.  Let me know where you've linked me up and give me the link to your blog and I will add you to my Love Links page.  

I don't mind being linked up and I don't mind giving the favor back to you.  You can let me know by leaving a comment on this blog post OR by leaving a comment in the Love Links page of this blog. 

Thank you!
 

Thursday, July 5, 2007

Anybody Can Have a Charmed Life

According to Victoria Moran (author of the book "Creating a Charmed Life") people who lead a charmed life simply put into practice, knowingly or not, the attitudes, and propensities that orchestrate harmonius circumstances. She has also mentioned in her book that all of us can create a charmed life--one that is rich, full, meaningful and manageable.

Having a charmed life does not depend on luck alone (some people consider themselves charmed simply because they were born lucky, or course that's not true). It is something that we can work on. Some people I know already live a charmed life and they don't even know it. There are no hard rules on living a charmed life---you can create it. And that's the beauty of Victoria Moran's concept.

Let me share with you some of my favorite sensible, spiritual secrets mentioned in her book (the short explanations are based from my experiences):

Take Ten - affording to take at least 10 minutes of quiet time everyday. My quiet time is at night, some do it in the morning. It can be 10 or 20 or 30 minutes, whatever suits you. i usually reflect on what had transpired during the day.

Become an Unhurried Woman - this has helped me get thru the busiest days of my life. This has kept me calm in times when everything around me is in a rush.

Drink Good Coffee, Eat Good Food - the reason why I'm not stingy when it comes to food or coffee and why I like dining out and being served.

Change with the Seasons - my reason for acknowledging the changing of seasons, i.e. how i can never hate winter that much (it's really a struggle for me to get thru cold days) only because I know that winter is a time for hibernation, more time in the home and more time for oneself.

Decide that You are Beautiful - being beautiful really comes from the inside, in your heart and mind.

Stop to Realize - everyday when going home from work, i get off the bus and walk towards the train station, i pause for a moment and just close my eyes, smile and breathe and think "another good/great day is over, i now leave work behind and face my family at home". Or when I had a chance to be with a friend and we soon part, i stop for awhile to internalize what has happened and be thankful for such a wonderful encounter.

Have a good night everyone!

About Me

Hi, I'm Ibyang Sanchez.  I'm a happy wife living a charmed life as I do a balancing act of loving my husband, managing a home and taking care of myself too.

Other than devoting time for my family and career as an HR Practitioner, I make it a point to spend time with family and friends, learn photography, engage in music, watch movies, immerse in travel, and read books that enriches the mind and soul.

Since being a wife is very much an exciting one (imagine having your playmate hang out with you for the rest of your life?  your playmate being your husband--now isn't that fun?), I decided to create "A Wife's Charmed Life" in 2007. 

I'd like to help fellow wives and/or moms in making their lives a little easier with whatever experiences and tips I will learn along the way. For those who aren't married yet, I hope the things I will write about will come in handy for you in the future.


I also write about things I love:  times spent with family and friends, gastronomic discoveries, my "me" time indulgences, health and well-being tips, fashion finds, books that make a difference, films/theatre shows that entertain and places I've been to.


Why the "Charmed Life"


The concept of a charmed life came from a book.  In 2002, I was traveling in Sdyney, Australia for a month-long vacation when I met a friend who gave me a book entitled "Creating a Charmed Life" by Victoria Moran. When I read the book, I was changed for life.  Now that I'm married, the lessons I learned on how to create a charmed life makes adjusting to marital life easier.


Thru this blog, I will share the things I learned from being a woman and a wifey while spreading the "charm" around.

Other sites you can find me:
A Wife's Charmed Life Photoblog : charmed experiences immortalized in photographs
Our Happy Beginnings! : notes and snippets of our journey to ever after
Twitter and Plurk : on random updates
Postcards on Air  : a playground of sorts where I share random moments and thoughts that inspire.

If you have any comments or suggestion, please leave me a note via awifescharmedlife (at) yahoo (dot) com  and let's share ideas over a virtual cup of tea or coffee. 

Stay charmed! :)


-o0o0o-

I have always been asked what camera I use in taking photographs, so here's a list of gears I constantly use:
Canon 7D
Canon 30D
Canon 400D
Canon 18-55mm IS Lens
Canon 17-85mm IS Lens
Canon 50mm Lens
Canon 270EX Speedlite
Canon 430EX Speedlite
Lumix GF1 with 20mm lens
Fujinon 55mm (vintage lens)
Tamron 70-300mm (telephoto lens)
Fujica Vintage Lens (film)

During travels, I also bring my Lomo cameras with me:  a Holga and a Fisheye.

To date, Photography has taken me to experience covering events such as birthdays, debuts, christenings, pre-natal and pre-nuptial shoots and weddings.  I share this passion with my Husband, Chris, who not only introduced me his love for this art but has been my lifelong coach and partner in this undertaking.

:)