The Story of Us

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Disclaimer: This much overdue brief  recount of our love story is a bit long. Why? Because it didn’t start with me falling in love with her at first sight, and me sweeping her off her feet. Ours is a story built on a foundation of good friendship, quality time together and a lot of joyful conversations.

It was her 1st day in the company in August 2008 when I met her. Her manager introduced the new hire in his team – Kristine. We exchanged names and smiles, before they continued on. I found her cute but no, it was not love at first sight. It was on the 3rd time that we met, that Kristine actually remembered me. We were in White Rock Subic for a company teambuilding. My fellow new hire roommate Earl cajoled Mark (another new hire) and I to visit our lady new hire friends Kristine and Cherie in their room. We spent the night in the girls’ room playing cards and charades, and getting to know each other. As we got back into our own room, Earl’s phone rang. It was Kristine telling him that someone left his phone on her bed – it was mine. I told them that I’d go and retrieve it. After they hung up, the boys started their teasing: “Woohoo, Adrin! Style mo bulok!” After the teambuilding incident, I didn’t pursue Tine any further. I had no plans then of having a girlfriend yet as I wanted to focus on my career. There was even a time when I teased Mark into courting Tine as they look good together, but he just shoved off the idea.

Over the months, Tine and I became really good friends. Together with our other new hire friends, we would go out for lunches, practice for new hire “talent shows,” organize team meetings and even prepare small birthday surprises for each other. One time, we went to Laiya, Batangas for an overnight trip. That night, we played Spin-The-Bottle-Truth-Or-Dare, and the question for me was: “If you had to, who would you court in office?” I really thought about it, and I answered “Tine.” She’s cute, nice and, best of all, witty. I really enjoyed the conversations I had with her. After a few spins, it was Tine’s turn to be asked: “If someone from the office were to court you, who would you hope it would be?” She answered “Adrin.” I thought then that she was just being courteous and funny. But it was one of those turning points in our love lives.

It was almost habit that Tine and I walk together after office towards Ayala MRT station to catch our ride home. It’s a 15-minute walk but it always seemed like a breeze because the moments are filled with stories, laughter and random joyful conversations. It was during one of our walks in December 2008, 4 months after Tine and I met, that I decided to make the leap and ask her out. Weeks before, I already had this uneasy feeling towards Tine. “Hindi ko alam kung nasosobrahan lang ako sa kape. Pero minsan, bumibilis ang tibok ng puso kapag nakikita ko si Tine.” This was an honest and heartfelt statement that I confided to our female office friends. [I found out later on, when Tine and I were already together, that apparently my confidants were more loyal to Tine. And she knew about those things this even before. I still can’t believe they did that to me. Hahaha.] We went ice skating for our 1st date. I knew how to skate, she didn’t. And yes, it was intentional. Our 1st date was followed by more dates – movies, dinner dates, and “field trips” with her kid cousin and my kid sister. Our friendship developed into something more special.

It was January 21, 2009, after watching Jim Carrey’s “Yes Man,” that Tine and I declared that it was officially US. The conversation went something like this.

Adrin: “Tayo na ba?”

Tine: “Ewan ko.”

Adrin: “OK, tayo na nga. So, date na lang ang kulang… Gusto mo i-set natin sa Feb 14?”

Tine: “Wag, cheesy masyado.”

Adrin: “Ok sige, ngayon na nga lang.”

Image Source: Movie Poster

February 12 was the first time I told Tine I loved her. February 14 was the time she said she loved me too. On our 3^rd anniversary, I proposed to her. Now we're less than a year to our next big milestone!!! Wait, were you able to put up with the cheesiness? =P

Filled with kilig,

DIY Invites Update #2: DIY Tools from Lasting Impression

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So we have our papers for our invites, now what? To lighten the work that we’ll be doing, we need some tools. We were looking for two things--first, good paper cutter that will help us get ruler-straight sheets out of our humongous board; and second, a scoring board to give us crisp folds for our pocketfold invites.

Months earlier I already found an online supplier for these items. It’s an online craft store called Lasting Impression. I looked up the products again last week and showed them to Adrin. Since the items were a bit pricey, he told me that he’d like to see first how the tools work before we decide whether we buy them or not. That prompted me to look for the physical store of Lasting Impression. The online site does not give any indication that they do have a physical store open to the public so I had to send a message in their page to inquire. Within the same day of my inquiry, I received an SMS from them with their store address and driving directions.

We dropped by the store (here's a blog feature of the store complete with pictures) last Saturday, and were surprised to see a wide variety of materials for crafters. They retail various kinds of paper products, scrapbooking materials, stamps, wax seals, washi tapes, and the tools that crafters use such as cutters, embossing machines, etc. Our jaws literally dropped after we were ushered into the store. We can’t believe that there’s a specialty store such as that in Manila. Most, if not all, of the items they sell were imported so the prices were a bit steep for an average hand-crafting enthusiast. Despite that, I have the impression that they do have a big market here to put up a store as extensive as that.

Anyway, we asked to be shown the paper cutters. We didn’t know that they have different kinds so next we asked for big cutters that can cut large sheets of paper into smaller portions. Sadly the biggest one is a 12x12 Fiskars SureCut Paper Trimmer that we can’t even open and try out because of its sealed packaging. The store attendant just tried her best to explain how it works and assured us that it's very user friendly and can slice through a thick cardstock.

Our paper trimmer

After that, we inspected the scoring boards next. They have different brands and sizes as well and some are even multi-purpose boards. We opted for the biggest board of the simplest design from the Martha Stewart line. It's a 3pc. set which is very similar to the scoring boards I see online so I’m perfectly sure that this item will do the trick of denting our cardstock neatly so we can execute a creaseless fold.

Our scoring board

We decided to buy the two items and were very excited to put them straight to production mode.  Before we can do that, finalizing the dimensions of our invites is a requisite. We have a rough estimate of the invite size we like, but producing them now and just praying that they fit perfectly to our still non-existent envelopes is somewhat an action of blind faith. So envelopes, you’re next!

Lasting Impression
216-A V. Ibanez St., San Juan City

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Directions:

From Edsa-Ortigas Ave.

1. Turn left on Wilson St. (corner Metrobank and Caltex)

2. Go straight and pass by Cardinal Santos Hospital

3. Turn right on J. Abad Santos St. (corner Gloria Maris)

4. Go straight and pass by Yoh Froz, Ristras, Serenitea, Piandre, Chicken Charlie

5. Turn right on V. Ibanez St. and look for the 2nd house on your left (#216 and painted yellow)

6. Press doorbell "A" located on the right side of the house beside the small brown gate

Cheers!

Jeff House of Fashion for my Ladies' Dresses

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It was January of this year when we first met with Anna of Jeff House of Fashion. Back then we discussed with her the designs we’d like for the lady members of our entourage.  Come March, we formalized our booking with her sans the final designs for our moms.

When I informed her that we’ll proceed with the booking, she mentioned that their December 2013 and early January 2014 calendar is already full and that she needs to get Tito Jeff’s go signal first before accepting our booking.

We were really lucky because 3 days after our initial exchange, Anna informed me that they can still accommodate my party. With my excitement, I immediately made our down payment to secure our slot. June is our target date to have everyone measured so I better start sending out our “Will You Be’s”  real soon. Define pressure? Haha. 

Cheers!

The Boudoir Experience with Boudoir Le Blanc

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I finally mustered enough courage to write about this special experience. Last month, I underwent a boudoir pictorial session together with 3 other friends. We've all been excitedly looking forward to the day of our shoot weeks before that, and when it came, we had one helluva fun!!!

So what exactly is a boudoir pictorial? Literally, boudoir is the French term for a lady’s private sitting or dressing room. Given that, boudoir pictorial is a shoot with female subjects with sexually suggestive poses. The degree of sexiness varies and is largely based the confidence of the ladies who goes for this shoot. Internationally, photographers saw the market for such pictorials and were long practicing boudoir photography. In the Philippines however, this was just recently introduced and we only have a handful of photographers offering this kind of service at the moment.

I learned all about this while preparing for our wedding, since majority of the ladies going for such sessions are actually soon-to-weds. Upon seeing some of their pictures, I was amazed by the confidence that they exude and their glow that was immortalized in those photos. They were self-assured to bare some skin and though the overall theme is sexy, their pictorials all appeared to be tastefully done.

Not one with the highest confidence out there, I longed to do something like that as well. I feel that this is the best time for me to do it given that I’ll never have an excuse again in the future. I also think that it’s high time for me to be comfortable with my body--flabs, scars and all; before I enter married life. Amidst all that, I’m still apprehensive to do it on my own. But I badly want to do it. And so, I asked Cris and Nat if they were up for a group boudoir session. Luckily, they were also sharing my sentiments and would readily sign-up for one if they have a support group to share it with. A week later, my friend Aiza also decided to join our group session since she was also secretly wishing to have a shoot.

That said, we scouted for the best boudoir photographer for us. We had 3 suppliers to choose from and in the end, we chose Boudoir Le Blanc. BLB won us over with their super chic outputs and the fact that they create concepts for each client. This is a big edge compared to other suppliers who simply takes pictures of their client in their lingerie or nighties. They also offered us a customized package which includes venue for the shoot and hair and make-up styling. 

We finalized the booking November of last year and scheduled the shoot for first week of February. Between that, we had a constant communication with Heather (BLB’s creative director) as they create individual concepts for us.  First they sent us a personality questionnaire that will help them get to know each one of us better. We had a hard time answering the questions since they were quite personal and of course we need to be really honest if we want a perfect concept. 

After sending the filled up questionnaire, a picture of ourselves, and our photo pegs, Heather came back to us with our look boards after several weeks. Mine looked really sweet and feminine probably because all my responses in the questionnaire translated to that. I love the pastel colors and of course the chicness of the concept they put together for me. I’m not exactly super girly, but I’m not one to roughhouse either, so I believe this look is set to bring out the daintiness in me. Haha.

My very dainty lookboard

When I saw my look board, I know that I need to do some shopping. Not a single item is available in my closet so I have to source them out. Here’s what I came up with. I requested to change the pink nightie into a grey one (since I was able to buy that before we received the board), and the lavender lingerie to periwinkle since it’s the closest decent one I found. Heather was so ecstatic when she saw my wardrobe and even commented that it perfectly matches the look she's gunning for.

My actual wardrobe sans some accessories

Few weeks before the shoot, we also received our set design. At first I was confused on how the items will play out together, but since the sweet and chic vibe is still very apparent, I just trusted BLB that everything will look lovely.

One week before out shoot date though, Tooney (BLB’s photographer) had a bad fall which injured her ankle, and was advised for a complete rest to speed up her recovery. That prompted Heather to request for a shoot reschedule since she doesn’t want to compromise our shoot's output because of Tooney’s limited movements. We agreed and locked in a new date.

Came our most awaited day, I was destined (us four decided by drawing lots) to be the first one to go in front of Tooney’s lens. Boy was I so nervous. Tina (BLB’s make-up artist) carefully followed the look that Heather wants and was successful at it. Their hairstylist also curled my hair and once they’re done with me, Tooney led me to my set.

Still really uneasy, I followed her upstairs and just prayed that everything will be alright. But as soon as I entered the room my nerves were alleviated and replaced with sheer delight when I saw what they've arranged to be my domain for the session. It was so so so pretty and sweet. Everything was cohesive and there’s not a single décor out of place.

I was requested to change to my first wardrobe and Tooney immediately leapt into action. She directed my poses, and while taking my pictures, would also tell me where to look or place my hand. She also had done a very good job of making me comfortable by continuously encouraging and commending me. Her lines ranges from “so pretty!”, “love it!”, and “I love that expression!” to “you’re so easy to direct naman pala eh”. With words like that consistently thrown at you, wouldn't you also be relaxed and feel beautiful? Hahaha! I really hope those aren't empty words. =P

As we went on, I changed to my other wardrobes and continued to pose under Tooney’s guidance. One hour flew by really fast and before I knew it, Tooney already said “one last shot”. I was surprised and felt a bit sad because I was game to do more. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment posing for her, that I didn’t even noticed the passing of time.

After my turn, Aiza went next, followed by Cris, and then lastly Nat. We had a super late lunch once everyone was done. We learned that we are their first boudoir soiree clients and it was much of an experience for them too, as it has been for us four. As a remembrance of our super fun group boudoir session, we had this pic.

Our group photo c/o BLB.
Back (L-R): Nat, Aiza, and Tooney. Seated: Tine and Heather. On the floor: Cris and Tina

Our souvenir door hangers.
From left to right: Cris, Aiza, Nat, Tine

We've yet to receive the full set of our photos and the only thing we've seen so far is a sneak peek which I’m also sharing to you. Now, be the judge! =)

Boudoir Le Blanc Photography

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Cheers!

Turning Japanese Part 7 - Shinjuku and Shibuya

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Similar to the four adventure-packed days before, our fifth day was planned to be spent at Tsukiji Market and Imperial Palace in the morning, then flight back to Manila in the late afternoon. These were all thrown out the window after we realized that (1) we can't really get up that early in the morning to catch the restaurants in the market since we're so tired from the previous days, and (2) we need to fix our schedule for Narita Express ride to the airport. Following through our initial plan will be a logistics nightmare given the back and forth travel that we have to make.

What do we do now? Well, we decided to leave reasonably early still,  with all our things (all four luggage), and head straight to Shinjuku. The night before, we strategically packed our things already and left Adrin’s small suitcase empty because we still haven’t done shopping. Morning came and it was time to bade Archie goodbye, aside from that we also thanked him for being so gracious and letting us stay with him during our vacation.  

Upon arrival at Shinjuku station, first agenda was to get a schedule for our train ride to the airport later that day. After successfully scheduling our ride, we looked for big lockers to temporarily keep our bags. The first ones we saw were already occupied and so we circled the station and finally found available lockers. Once we’ve stowed our bags, we headed to Shibuya station to look for Hachiko’s monument.

Hachiko is the dog famed for its loyalty to its master, and the inspiration of the American movie Hachi. As the tale goes, the dog goes to the station every day at the same time and waits for its master. The routine of the dog continued on, long after the master has died. Observed and lauded by the public, they paid tribute to Hachiko and built several monuments when he died. 

We also saw and crossed the busiest crossing in the world, Shibuya crossing. We roamed the area for a bit before we decided to go back to Shinjuku for an early lunch at Din Tai Fung. 

Shibuya Crossing: Busiest crossing in the world

That's me with the red trolley at the snowy Shibuya crossing

After our failed attempt on our first day, this time we're determined to grab steamy xiao long bao before going home. We arrived there fairly early for lunch but was still surprised to see a long queue outside the place. To while my time, I wandered the Uniqlo store next door and was able to get a bagful of clothes until Adrin called for me as he's already seated in the restaurant. There we devoured baskets and baskets of dumplings of various flavors until there's no room for more. I was happy to see Adrin finally enjoying the famous Din Tai Fung. I really wish for it to be available locally real soon. 

Xiao Long Bao!!!

Happy to be eating really good food. :)

Now that we've successfully enjoyed our favorite food, next on our list is shopping for goodies and chocolates. The stores we scouted were all for naught. We didn’t find any big store or grocery with the goodies that we were looking for. Time is ticking and our Narita Express schedule is fast approaching, and so we just relented and hoped for the best that we'll find a good store at the airport.

Getting into the train on time however was just a rung lower than amazing race. Our persistence in looking for a grocery took us to unfamiliar spots and the direction we’re following is leading us directly onto the train platform. We need to find the station’s main level first so we can collect our luggage and finally board our train. While I was a bit panicky already, Adrin was so serene following my navigation.  Eventually we found our way and hastily retrieved our bags from the lockers. Luckily we made in on time and were one of the first passengers to board the train. Whew! We were so close to missing it. 

Inside Narita Express

The ride all the way to the airport was spent in dreamland. Before we knew it, we're already there. Not long after we alighted did we see a store with just the right treats for pasalubong. We also looked for the store selling Royce Chocolates and bought two of each available kind.

Here's my share of the treats

All that's left after 5 days! :)

As usual, we managed to complete all the items in our list so we took our time wandering around the airport before grabbing some snacks at the Delta Skylounge. 

Barely occupied

Our snacks

Boarding time came, and it was thankfully an uneventful flight as always. Adrin dozed off after dinner and I tried my best to do the same, but my efforts were all in vain so I just watched some good documentaries instead. 

All in all, it was a wonderful trip full of new experiences and a lot of firsts! I would love to go back in the future. And next time, it’ll be sakura season perhaps? =)

Read the rest of the Turning Japanese Series here: 

Part 1 - The Arrival

Part 2 - Nagano Ski Trip

Part 3 - Sankeien Garden, Yokohama

Part 4 - Hikawa Maru Museum, Yokohama

Part 5 - Asakusa and Tokyo Skytree

Part 6 - Tokyo DisneySea

Cheers!