Holiday Bliss

How was your holiday break, people of the world? I do hope everything turned out just as great.The long vacay was certainly more than enough. Two weeks of housekeeping, family get togethers, out of town trips, beading and reading hours, have left me craving to get back to that office desk and start working. Which is a good thing, because I do resolve to get to work early and on time, at least at the first month. Teehee. My over-attachment to my bed and beddings always get the best of me every morning. What’s supposed to be a five minute nap always extends long enough to get me to work eternally late. Now who would want to be introduced as “The Late (insert name here)”?Now on to my holiday report. Be warned, dear reader, that this is one lengthy entry.

MAKEOVER!!!
I’ve been wanting to give myself a major makeover for months now, and finally, I had this breaky break to give myself one! I cleared my closet yet again, without mercy this time, and have ended up with barely enough items to get me going at my usual rate. Thus the need for more shoes, bags, and clothes. Better clothes. Anyone know
where to get some spanx? Anyway, it wasn’t just my closet getting a makeover. I wanted to give myself a new look. One which, I YM’d Shelly a month ago. I dyed my hair! I was seriously considering [Paramore] Red. You know, Haley’s hair. Striking effing red. But growing up with dark dark brown hair…I’m not so sure I’d be able to pull that one off. Thus, the Bella Brown. Bella, Isabella Swan of Twilight, had this brown hair, that turns red under the sun. The original idea, really, that I had in mind pre-Twilight days, was to have my hair color look exactly the same, and then turn into another color when hit by the sun. Red, or Dark Blue were my options then. But it would be quite a waste, dying your hair, and having only the sun to tell. Thus, my red-brown hair.

I honestly, absolutely heart my hair now! I’ll be having it curled by February. It wasn’t long enough when I had it dyed. Speaking of curls, I was thinking if I should go for the Serena van der Woodsen hair, or the Blair Waldorf look.

I’m leaning towards Serena’’s though. Or maybe, Blair’s would look better for a change. Oh well, I have all month to think about that.

I also purchased this cute pair of shoes, which I used in our family reunion in Novalichez. It’s just so adorable, and high too! I decided to skip the boots, and wait till the whole trend blows over, or till I find a pair that’s just impossible to let go because it would look good in almost everything. Until then, no boots for me. My closet is now filled with denim skirts, and lycra shirts. And jeans too. Yes, I wear jeans now. Because it makes me look better. A lot less chubby. Hmm…I’ll have to work on the fat too. Post holiday bulge much? Yes.

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
On the teeny chances I get, I tune in to my handy walkman-phone while catching up on my reading. Over the break, I managed to purchase two books: Angela’s ashes, and The Time Traveler’s Wife.

Yes, I now have a romance novel on my shelf. I’m hoping there won’t be any cringing here. Over the breaky break, I read Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns.

The book was stunning. Beautiful, amazing, and eye opening indeed. It awakened the little activist in me, and added fire to me wanting to make a difference in this lifetime. I seriously recommend it! It’s hard to share just how wonderful this book is without giving details on the story. It was deeply moving. I’m hoping KH publishes another novel.

CHRISTMAS DAY
Ah, Christmas day. That day of the year where we have lunch with the entire family, meet with aunts and uncles, and cousins and neices too, and just…well…eat.

There’s of course, the usual catching up with each other’s lives, updates, and giving little gifts. Oh, and playing with the kids too.

This year, we paid a visit to my grandfather’s sister in Makati. It’s been years since I last saw her, and I wonder if she thinks I look just like I did years ago, because she certainly didn’t look like she aged a day!

Post Christmas day, we had dinner at my grandmother’s, like we didn’t spend the previous day with her. She is just the sweetest fiercest woman I have ever known. We bumped into some old friends too. Oh how I miss my friends and churchmates back in Laguna!

BELATED BIRTHDAY THING
Finally, after over a month of reminding, hinting, and poking, I finally get to have my birthday celebration with my parents. Finally, finally, finally!!! We hung out at the Bonifacio High street, had dinner at Market! Market!, and spent hours at Fully Booked.

At long last, I have finally spent a decent amount of time in this place after several brief (as in no longer than five minutes) visits. It’s like heaven, really, to be surrounded by so much books. I promise to live there from now on! *cue creepy laugh* Of course, as anyone who truly knows me would agree to, bringing me to a bookstore is the worst idea. I’ll end up examining every shelf, picking up book after book after book, spend precious time agonizing over which one to take home, and then spend money that was never really meant to be spent on books. Bad, bad, bad idea. Now I barely have any money for my “update your closet” fund. But hey, I’m still happy.

NEW YEAR!!!!
Welcomed the new year at the same house as last year’s. Ate lots of shrimp, played with my niece, discussed Twilight and Breaking Dawn with my cousin and her parents, gone triggerhappy with the same niece, watched the fireworks, project runway, and more fireworks, before waking home and experiencing the first blackout of 2009. That lasted about half and hour.

Of course that’s the short of it. And after all that buzz, and it was just me and my parents again, we have tea and some shut eye before heading to Novalichez and spend the New Year with my mother’s sisters.

The celebration was slightly different from what I expected. I’m generally used to being ignored, except for catching up with a cousin. Yes, just one cousin. And I was exhausted, so I predicted that being ignored would definitely NOT be a bad thing…more time to catch up with my zzz’s or finish a book I’m reading. But surprise surprise, I end up talking, photographing, and laughing with my cousins, while watching them go PS3 happy, and trigger happy with camera after camera (mine included).

I honestly had a lot of fun. Plus, I wore my new, lovely pair of shoes! Whee!

BONI HIGH WITH COUSINS
Looks like it wasn’t just me who had fun, as my aunts decided to spend the afternoon at home, with two of my cousins. I didn’t pay much attention to what brought them here, like I do mind. I’m happy my mum got to show them around the house and get to do their thing. Turns out, it was my cousin and his girlfriend’s monthsary, and they were thinking of going out. For obvious reasons most parents in my world have, they of course want people to tag along with their “date” of sorts. Thus me, and my younger cousin. Thus the trip back to Global City! Whee! I honestly wonder why no trip to Global is ever complete without taking a wrong turn. My trip with kmy parents had us lost, and take the long way back home. On this trip, we take a wrong tun and end up heading to Makati! But we found our way back, which is only a simple case of logic and problem solving.

I showed them around, took pictures, window shoopped, and went to heaven. And when I said heaven, I meant my heaven on earth, Fully Booked.

We had dinner, ran a few errands for my uncle, and waited for the Late Michelle, my cousin, who joined us on the way home.

TAGAYTAY TRIP
As if we are all tireless creatures, we go to Tagaytay the next day, with my aunt, uncle, cousings and my fierce grandmama. Obviously, I am very fond of her.

After lunch, we showed her around great places to visit in Tagaytay, which includes Sonya’s Garden.

My, my, the place has changed so much since our last visit! And there’s a parking fee. Parking fee!!!! Yes, I just complained about the parking fee. They didn’t have that before. The place, although much has changed, as still gorgeous. Sonya herself welcomed us, and gave my lola a flower that smelled like butter. Butter!!!

I just had to get one myself! It smelled amazing, decadent! If I ever considered flowers edible, I might have gobbled it up right then and there.

We also brought her to fruit stands and flower shops where she did herself a bit of a shopping spree.

On our way back, it was just so easy to tell she really did have a lot of fun. I’m just happy that she’s happy. Had such a blast, I tell you. I really thing we should give her that more often.

Finally, the long break is over. Back to the typing, clicking, and surfing. Yay! I never even go a chance to have a dvd marathon of anything. It was either out of the house, or housekeeping. My room is abnormally in order right now. You just wait a few days, and it will be back to its usual unorderly self. New Year’s Resolutions, anyone? I have one for myself. It’s pretty vague though: PERSONAL UPGRADE. It’s pretty general, yes? I guess we all have to wait and see! Haha! And now back to work!