Camina-Resurreccion Nuptials

hindi magandang ideya ang pakinggang ang jazz mix na gawa mo habang nag-aaral. nang marinig ko ang tinig ni julia fordham, may lalim ang lungkot at tumindi ang pangungulila. alaala nuong simula natin... patambay-tambay sa 1710 habang nakikinig kay julia. maraming kuwentong dala ang kanyang tinig. di lang sa atin kungdi maging iyong kasaysayan...

maari namang itigil at palitan ng iba pa na mas masaya. mas makakatulong sa pag-aaral. pero pinili kong yakapin ang nararamdaman. isang pag-papaalala na ikaw at ikaw pa rin.

alam mo naman na malikot ang mata ko. at di ko pinalalampas ang mga kuwento. totoo, may kilig, may tuwa. ngunit hinding-hindi nila maibibigay ang kapayapaan na naibibigay mo kapag ang ating mga palad ay nagkakadaupan. kapag nariyan ka lang sa tabi at tutok sa computer. kapag katabi sa pagtulog. payapa. yun ka. masayang kiligin paminsan-minsan, pero alam mo naman kapayapaan ang gusto kong hangtungan.

dahil hindi ko maipapadama ito sa pamamagitan ng hawak at yakap... ito na lang.

salamat at sinilang ka. dahil sa iyo, payapa buhay ko. :)

Obviously I wasn’t prepared for a speech that day. And I have my regrets in not being able to address the moment, the occasion, and acknowledge properly the love from friends and relatives, as well as the love Anj and I share.

As much as the timing is off, (plus the fact that I’m not particularly adept at delivering speeches and normally shun the spotlight) may this delayed written speech make up for the things I wasn’t able to say that day.

Good evening. I’d like to start off by expressing my heartfelt thanks to all of you who were able to grace Anj and me with your warm presence. It was such an awesome feeling back in Nuestra Guadalupe to see all of you fill up that small church. It really was the high point of my day –

My dearest parents escorting me to the altar. Then turning around to watch: My much-respected and admired and revered ninongs and ninangs filing in; Close friends and family members who form part of the entourage; Anj’s cute pamangkins in full tow along with my inaanak in Bahay Maria; My soon-to-be in-laws who’ll be welcoming me into their family; And finally the bride, in full splendor, flashing her bright smile as she walked down that aisle.

To Earthen Vessel, the choir who sang My One and Only Love, thank you very much for doing such a lovely rendition for the processional and for gracing the Mass with your beautiful music.

To Fr. Mimo, Fr. Edwin and Monsi, (and Fr. Mario and Fr. Albert sana), thank you for celebrating the Mass for our wedding. Receiving the Sacrament of Matrimony was made more heartfelt because of them. Dear priest friends, beautiful music and seeing all the family and friends filling up the church (and Bahay Maria kids dressed in white blowing bubbles) really made it one of the most special Mass I’ve ever experienced.

Thank you to all the friends and cousins who’ve helped out in the preparations and during the program. The time, the talent and the efforts you’ve pitched in (however big or small) helped make the ceremony and reception possible.

To my family (Ma and Pa, Arvin and Caryl), I would like to thank them for all the support they have given me. With all things considered on how things go between us family members, they are my inspiration for having a nice little family of my own.

To Anj’s family (Mommy Elma, Ate Janet, Kuya Roy), thank you for welcoming me. Although I never got to meet Anj’s dad, knowing how well he (and Mommy Elma) raised Anj to be the woman she is now is tribute enough to how good of a father and a family man he was. I would have wanted him to know that I’ll take very good care of her little Marie Angelie.

And to my one and only love Anj… you have been a blessing to me. Your caring, empathic nature has tempered my dispassionate objectivity. Your carefree dancing spirit has made my bones of stone sway somewhat. Your travel appetite has brought me to many places and great friendships. You’ve yanked me out of my comfort zones and I look forward to creating new comfort zones with you in the center of it.

Little would I know what that Davao trip in late 2004 had in store for me. I had been looking for love for the longest time and the right person at the right time came into the fray. This is so easy to say in hindsight - for we can never foresee just who that person who we will spend the rest of our life with would be like. But once she’s there, it feels like she’s the most natural life partner that you ever wanted.

Ever since you came into my life, I’ve ascertained that life would be worth more living having you by my side. We’ve gone through a lot of experiences since we first met and I’m looking forward to a wide-open future with you. There’s still so much to share between the two of us and may the years ahead fill us with the fondest of memories. And I’m certain that all these will come to pass because I know and feel how much committed we are to each other.

Sharing this occasion with friends and family is a wonderful thing to have. Some of you here have travelled far and wide – Ilocos, Cebu, Passi, Iloilo, Samar, Mindoro, Surigao, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Texas, Ireland,…at kung saan-saang lupalop ng Metro Manila. All of you here have gifted us with precious time spent in this moment of celebration. Even to physically absent friends and family who nevertheless wished us well. Thank you very much for being here. All of you gave our “big plunge” a “great splash”. Thank you very much!

4 weeks since we got married. almost to the time.

i really don't know how to answer people asking "kamusta na?" when particularly referring to being married and all.

last night, after watching reality bites (both of us for the first time) and dancing to great old 90's music, jan asked me the same question as everybody else... kamusta na.

my answer: sleep has been very restful, unlike the restless nights for the longest time. and waking up and seeing him in the morning makes me happy. not the giddy-my-hands-get-clammy happy, rather wow-i-am-blessed-i-am-content kind of happy.

and other things too, that i was not able to say. jan preparing coffee for the both of us in the morning. or him bearing with my weird enjoyment out of ogie diaz in his umagang kay ganda segment. or me nagging him to drink his antibiotics. or me forcing him to have breakfast with me in the morning.

everything just feels comfortable, like we have been doing this forever.

sigh. i'm a lucky, happy woman. :)

thank you to all those friends who mentioned our wedding in their blogs. it's great hearing your stories and thoughts about the day.

ordo, my college kabarkada and jan's GS/HS classmate in the Ateneo, finds the union uncanny and awesome. (we too!)

toni and the rest of the Manila-based LHC get-together to celebrate our day with us. she also gets a very interesting fortune for a married woman. lotsa photos here!

pia, my JVP batchmate over at Zambia, says an African prayer for our union. other stories of her june activities over her side of the world included.

tatit, one of our two best gals (caryl being the other), was in solidarity during friday the thirteenth by dressing up as dutch maid. milk please! ;p

and for those wanting photos... we haven't uploaded the official ones yet. but over at my multiply photos, you can see unofficial photos of the wedding and the reception and lots of our honeymoon in palawan.

jan has been wanting to say something here for the longest time. but he's been busy munching on the bread and nutella we bought so it may take some time. (this guy is bad for my figure. i have been consciously not getting the vile fattening thing to avoid the temptation. and he's telling me now not to join him in eating. tsk, tsk.) but he promises to, so just you guys wait.

ciao!

We have a lot of good friends spread out all over the world that we really wanted to have been there during the wedding. In a way, it was assuring that they wanted to be there with us as much as we wanted them. In their own little way, they celebrated our day in their part of the world. Here is how our dearest Tatit joined in the fun.

In a little corner of Zambia, JVP batchmated and birthday-mate, Pia, said an African prayer for us. Thank you, dear Pi. Every little prayer and of good vibes will help us sustain our liftime partnership. :)

The prayer translates as:

Lord, help us to remember when we first met and the strong love that grew between us. To work and love into practical things so nothing can divide us.

We ask for words both kind and loving, and for hearts always ready to ask forgiveness as well as to forgive. Dear Lord, we put our marriage into Your hands. Amen.

Beautiful, di ba?

To everyone who said their prayers for us, who remembered us during the day and who were thare, thank you. We treasure your love as we treasure each others. :)

jan and i are touched, ganns! thanks for sharing the love. :)

this entry seems to be a perfect start for our post-wedding entries. jan and i decided to keep the blog for a while so we can continue sharing our journey as a newly-married couple. i, for one, feel that there will be a lot of challenges and realizations along the way.

so here goes!

The rules of this award are: SHARE THE LOVE!!! Share this award with all those blogs out there that you love. All the people who make you smile. All those that make you laugh. All those that make your day. All those that leave uplifting comments on your blog. **All I ask, is that you include a link to this post with the award and ask your recipient to do the same**

It is a beautiful story of how organ donation has saved the life of an adorable little boy. Hopefully, it helps create awareness for organ donation here in the Philippines as well.

I share the love to you, mayette, tatit and ina.

Tonight

Your smile is a crescent that embraces the light
Of a full moon in abeyance to two suns in eclipse.

Luna is with us tonight to guide us in our gladdening
Phases - a bedlam of arms and legs, feet and hands;
          And all of all centered contracts and expands,
          And all of our silences commend, understand.

She sways muted curtains in front of absent walls.
She renders ceilings meaningless and adds merit to floors.
          For nothing will enclose us or hold us back.
          No garment can impede us. No covers. No doors.

She showers fragrances to trance to advance to heaven to yearn -
She observes flagrances and entrances and nods approvingly.
          Tonight the air belongs to us. Every breath ascertains
          Every move. Every sound belongs to us.
She holds her candle to our shapelessness.

We form forms. Form forms us –
Intangible to touch, immeasurable to see.
The more we are conjoined, more untangled we will be.
I want to hold you badly and believe
In all you are. In who you be.
The universe might not be enough to contain
You and me.
We’re set against the sky; see as far as we can see.
But stars are too distant. You’re here with me.
You lead me to gaze
On your body
In your eyes.
In your eyes a glint of wider and wilder and milder and fierce
In your eyes an implacable sweltering music of seers
In your eyes an indomitable trust
In your eyes a crescendo of lust
In your eyes immaculate impure
In your eyes an obsidian lure
Of desire so rife
Of future so sure
It impels me it pulls me
Inside you.
Inside you I’ll forever stay
Inside you I confess my desires true
Inside you in sacred communion
Inside you I drink from the cup
Inside you blood comes alive
Inside you I always will thirst
Inside you water turns into wine
Inside you I’m an angel inflammable
Inside you I’m the devil deprived
Inside you I’ve nothing to hide
Inside you I’m familiar and strange
Inside you I’m beside you above you below you
Inside you I’m high
Inside you we miss and we kiss
And resolve and absolve and revolve and
Dissolve
And you hold open palms without qualms
And you grace us with eloquent shamelessness
And you are very graceful
And you are undeniable
And you blanket all my forgotten cold lonesomeness
And you are my window to bliss
And you are so beautiful
And you blush.
And I will love only you
Only you only you.

I wrote this around july-sept 2004, I forgot when exactly. This was the time I took some creative writing undergrad classes in UP CAL. (trip ko lang. pwede ka pang kumuha ng 6 (or 12?) units kahit grumadweyt ka na, yahoo! UP naming mahal... pero subject to approval nung professor. walang prerog, hehe...)

We had taken up Song of Myself by Walt Whitman with its spattering of anaphoras. Last time I had appreciated anaphoras was in Smashing Pumpkins' Muzzle. So ako rin!, I wanna try something with an anaphora and this was what came out. Was reading Yehuda Amichai rin back then, so there might be a little of that in there too.

for those who won't make it to the wedding, do check out the blog on the day for some other photos (thanks to pre-scheduled posts. yey!) featuring one of my favorite blue eagles, jobe. but i'd rather you come if you can. :)

TORRENTS

It was raining hard when I left Tagaytay. There was also a cloud on my head during the trip back to Manila. I was bubbling with frustration with some news I received through text. So my mood was near foul and I was uncertain what was to happen after my fitting with the designer at 4PM. It took a while for Jan to convince me not to go home after.

DIVERSION

I ended up dropping my stuff at his mother’s office, then proceeding to the designer to meet up with Karen who was fitting with me. I also asked Rowie if she wanted to join us, but she said she had a doctor’s appointment for an ultrasound. She did ask Karen and I to come over to her house for dinner because Jan had a meeting with Mike as well. So that was set.

Except what we were to do between 530 and 745. Jan was suggesting we go to Greenhills to get our rings from the jeweler. And I was like, “Do we really have to go with this Friday traffic?” Karen said she didn’t mind hanging out the office while we wait for Rowie to get home. And I was like, “We should have just gone straight to Rowie’s house. Kilala naman tayo ni Manang Emily.” Karen answered, “Naku, di na puwede yun kasi may asawa na yung tao!” I was suddenly ashamed with my manners after that. Hehehe!

So Karen and I played Family Feud in my laptop and Jan slept a bit. The boy was near-indisposed, poor thing. Finally, Rowie sent us a message that she was on her way home. While I was waking Jan up, his phone had a message alert which I check for him. It was from Rowie, as well. I read it and only saw, “Jan, okay na. You can go.” Which should have been strange since she texted me already, but I just thought she was making sure one of us got the message and that she was awfully hungry. Which should be no surprise for a pregnant woman. Hehe!

Getting a cab was a challenge though. It was a payday sweldo and drivers knew that. They either demanded extra payment (which I usually do, but hate it when dictated upon me) or refused to go to White Plains. After God knows how many cabs, we got one who agreed to go.

SURPRISE

We finally got to the Rowie’s place. The door was open and more light were open, which were unusual, but again I thought nothing of it. She was making signals in her hand, but I thought she was just signaling to Mike.

And then, “SURPRISE!”

WOOOOOW!!! A lot of friends were there at her place. LHC, JVP, Fuhkers. I was really, really surprised and absolutely had no idea about it. And I went to Karen, “you knew about this?” Which she did. And I went to Jan, “you knew about this?” And he had this face which I couldn’t decipher if he was messing with me that he did or did not know. But he did. And I went, “may sakit ka talaga?” Sadly, he was indeed sick.

And whoa, I was booted out of the seminary by Fr. Mimo because he was in it, too. No big group was coming after all. He had all of his staff briefed that if I ask, they are to answer a conference was going to happen at the seminary. That was simply amazing! I did miss on a couple more siestas, but well I had a great evening in store which was worth the forty winks. ;p

It was so fun to be surprised! I love surprises. And I was clapping and hopping and yahooing with joy. It was so cool. :) And I love it that all my friends got together. I never really imagined it happening that way. There was Rowie and Karen, of course. And then there was Toni and Bok and Erik (he the LHC man. He HAS to be there in any major LHC event.). Then from the JVPs were Ninin and Ina and Mayette and Tin-Tin and Adette, then Ray and Miah caught up (all the way from Las Pinas! I love you, guys!). Tatit had a package for me all the way from the Netherlands but did not make it in time. But she was there in spirit. Then Rhia and Shiva were there too. Good thing I brought Rhia’s invitation. :) It was just so cool. Jovan made it in time for dinner, and Chin just missed the naughty stuff. But it was astig that Jan’s close girl friends made it, too. Thanks, guys!

PARTEEEEH!

So we had a wonderful, delicious dinner. The salad was superb, with its raspberry dressing. I got hit my the creamy fish which I think had some vodka in it. So I downed that with iced tea. There was also beef (?) and of course, Mike’s Lamb of God mutton dish. Nom-Nom. Dessert was PJ Mariano’s Chipper Cupcakes. If you like cupcakes… better get from her. Nom-nom-nom!

It’s actually funny, how the world is so small. Jan’s friends knew my friends. Rowie and Jovan probably knew each other before Rowie and I did. Then Chin knew Miah from high school.

Then we sent the boys upstairs when the real shower began. Sadly, Karen had to go home since she might miss the last bus home. She really wanted to be there, and I really wanted her to be there, too. Sigh. But she did leave the most amazing gift which I discovered at the end of the night.

Whatever happened during the shower stays in the shower. ;p But no, no dancing boys. Erik volunteered to bring Karen to the station so he was not able to do his dance. Hehe! Kidding. All I can say is, we had such a blast because everybody was so competitive and game. Even if we had to cringe at imagery we were subjected to. Hehehe!

The non-naughty part of the shower was matching Jan’s answer with specific questions. We matched mostly, but the boy just had his chronology wrong. But he is forgiven. I will just have to review him with our history another day. While naturally unmushy and unsentimental, Ninin and Ina were able to coax some sweetness from him. Thanks for the wonderful message, Love. I know in my heart all those things you said, but declaring it to the world makes it so romantic. A rarity, thus valued more. J

GIFTS

The gifts varied from the kinky to the naughty to the sweet. I already know what to do with some of the others. ;p Except the zucchini and the upo may not make it to five and twenty five years respectively. So right now I am wondering how to do the laundry discreetly without my mother or the helper discovering it (we will be staying with my mom for a while). Hehe! I got things to eat and things for hygiene and some food for the mind. The massager has been baptized because my back hurts terribly.

Karen left a beautiful and sweet gift which got the people going “awwwwww…” And indeed it was. She left several candles that were to be lit for every milestone of married life. From honeymoon night to the 25^th anniversary. Ang galing. It is thrilling to think of our silver anniversary. And it is nice that other’s seem to be too. I will post the poem as soon as I get it from Jan (he is the keeper for now).

One thing I worry about it is that one day, our helper will come to me and say, “Ate, brownout kagabi. Ginamit ko yung malaking kandila.” Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh! LOL.

The candles have to be kept under lock and key. Hehehe!

* * * * *

Thank you, thank you, thank you to my wonderful friends. To Rowie, who did a great job organizing everything, at bedrest!!! To Ninin and Ina who thought of the games and brought the prizes. To everyone who came and spent time and effort to battle Friday sweldo traffic (which you will do again during the wedding. Sorry!) and money to make sure the marriage would be interesting and spicy. To Fr. Mimo who went along with everything and made it all the more special for me.

And to Jan, of course. Who made sure that I be surprised because he knows I love surprises.

Thank you, thank you, my dearest friends. I just know that my adult life has been one heckuva ride because of my friendships with you. We have learned a lot of things together, saw each other through different situations and here we are witnessing another milestone.

I am doubly blessed because you are all there.

i really wish to post more than just three photos a week, but well, we might not have anything to show during the wedding anymore. so. i can just do it after the wedding right? hehe!

anyhoo... below are some of the concept photos of the pre-nups. ahlavet!

i spent the whole of my thursday in tagaytay, in fr. mimo's seminary (he's our officiating priest sa wedding). part of my objective was to spend some quiet time talking with God. and at least i succeeded in that aspect (the sleep objective, not too much. the internet is too tempting!).

do hop over to my own website to see what thoughts were running through my head.

let's do a reverse love story!

Oras Na

Bathala: oras na. Napakatindi nitong araw.
Ilapag ang humahabang anino na oraryo,
at pakawalan ang hangin sa parang.

Atasan ang mga huling bunga na mapuspos;
bigyan sila ng ilan pang dapithapon,
yapusin sila sa pagkahinog, at habulin
ang huling tamis sa lalim ng alak.

Sinumang may bahay na ay makapagpapahinga.
Sinumang may kasama ngayon ay walang hahanapin pa;
mamumulat, bubukas, sasanib sa mga salita,
at babaybayin ang mga abenida nang walang pagod…
lalagay sa himbing, habang humihihip ang hangin.

That was my adaptation of Rilke’s Herbsttag (one of my fave poems) translated in Filipino and subverted in meaning. (Apologies pareng Rainer, hehe.) I don’t understand German (Herbsttag means “Autumn Day”) so I have been following Galway Kinnel’s translation for this one. Gass’ and Mitchell's take was nice too.

I haven’t written any creative lit lately (though I’m not prolific anyway) so I was itching to write one and the inspiration of translating an old favorite hit me. I took my liberties in translating it to Filipino. I shifted the conceit from ‘Autumn’ to ‘sun/day’ - Autumn is a non-existent season in tropical Philippines anyway (We have tag-araw and tag-ulan only). So while the progression to the last stanza was compromised from the original, my intrusion on subverting the ending from a restless lonesomeness to an imperturbable comfort would lend itself to justification.

I’ve forsaken the rhyme scheme and pentameter from the original German and opted to go free verse putting the weight of the rhythm on the Filipino words within the line. I read ‘southerly days’ to mean ‘longer shadows cast’ as the sun nears the horizon in the earth’s elliptical path. The wine metaphor was too juicy to pass up so I tried to capture it as faithfully as I could. And I put most of my liberties with the last stanza which changes the ending altogether. To note the second word of the third line, a shift in meaning and syllable cadence – ‘will open’/’will face tomorrow’. I may be forcing a new term but the play on ‘bukas’ both in meaning and in cadence within the word and within the line is something I wouldn’t be able to pass up. I upped the ante when I chose sanib instead of sulat. And an alliteration to finish it up.

“It is time.” I love how that statement reverberates. Magnified by addressing the Lord and something immense in nature. Kind of how it should feel when facing a sacrament – intense and truthful. As for the theme of imperturbable comfort? Jan thanks Anj’s companionship for that. LQs notwithstanding, lol.

well, i just realized i can't stand having just one photo a week. and jan has been leaving the posting on the blog to me... so bwahahah! i'm going to post three this week.

it's actually tough choosing because we have lots of nice ones. it's also taking a whole lot of EQ for me not to post the best ones until the very last minute. i actually failed, really, having shown off one of my favorites in my multiply site to several friends. just because i want to show off my marimar-karimadon dress. hehe!

so here ya go!

before i get into my lengthy story about redg, check out why i wanted him in the first place!
(that photo over there is not redg but by redg.)

*****
one of the best things about this wedding is the number of people who have been helping us make this happen. IP advocate and wonderful photographer, redg plopinio happens to be one of those people.

i actually met redg through rowie (my dearest matron of honor) since he was her student interested in indigenous education which was (is) my current field. he was interested in learning more about it. i honestly did not feel comfortable lecturing about it since i was still just getting familiar with it myself. but i decided to meet with him and his friends anyway. it was actually an interesting meeting as we decided to eyeball at conspiracy during a joey ayala night. we were texting when we were already both in conspiracy, i told him i was wearing red and was near the aircon. i failed to notice that there was another girl in red that was near the aircon as well so he ended up approaching her. hehe! we eventually got to meet and discussed a little bit about IP Ed. i just hoped to God i was able to share something decent with them.

anyway, we crossed paths again when he was invited by our organization to take pictures of Kalindogan 2006. it was only then that i found out that he was actually a photographer. and boy, was he good! i loved how alive and interesting his photos were. and the best thing about it was he was so passionate about the entire event which translated into the pictures. i particularly loved his Datu series. :)

back to the wedding... i knew i wanted good photographs of the wedding. i could let go of the video, but photos were not something i could compromise. i approached redg about it, trusting his eye and artistry with the camera. i was so glad he took it, even throwing in a pre-nup in the friendly package he gave us.

like i mentioned previously, it was wonderful working with him. i'm usually crazy in front of the camera which is usually a sign of my discomfort of posing, especially if it has to be malambing with jan. PDA captured isn't something i want. hehe. but his energy and passion was infectious and he totally understood what kind of rapport jan and i had. i felt it would be embarrassing na mag-inarte when he was so enthusiastic about the pre-nups. i mean, hello! the dude laid down on concrete, squatted on the ground, and did slight contortions to get good photos. so what right do i (jan is usually cooperative with things like this) have to say, "i'm shy!"

so yes, in front of an entire block of students, a frisbee group and jobe nkemakolam, jan and i and redg worked it.

thanks, redg, for making us look good!

this photo was not part of the initial plan. we were just walking from the UP coop to A/S when we came across an interesting "vandalism" in one of the buildings. while we were having our photo taken, i spotted the garbage dump. i told the boys i wanted a photo there. and of course, i had to be "di-nabubulok." it turned out to be one of our favorite photos. hehe. with some editing, it reminds me of a cd album cover. aliw noh?

the black and white and lomo-ish versions.

Whenever I hear pre-nups, I thought it had something to do with pre-nuptial agreements, ala-Intolerable Cruelty. Apparently, it’s some staged photo shoot for couple prior to the wedding. At first, after hearing my cousin having to pay an additional amount to the photographer as well as the venue for the pre-nup shoot, I thought that it was something Jan and I could do away with. We have lots and lots of photos from our travels with the gang. None of which were glamorous and most of them have us looking silly. Which is the way I like our photos to be.

But then our photographer and friend, Redg included a pre-nup shoot in our deal, so I thought, why not? It could be fun and we can get really creative with it. With an un-serious couple and a creative photographer, it’s bound to be interesting.

We agreed upon a “masa couple” pre-nup. Fishballs, isaw, ice cream in UP (Jan’s alma mater and my Open University). That sorta thing. Redg further expanded into a classroom set-up, given my current education-related work. So that could be easily arranged since it was summer.

He also asked me to bring a white dress for a simulated wedding day photo. It took a while to convince me, but I figured, what the hey… when will I ever have an excuse to look like that in public again? So I got myself a white dress for the shoot. And I love it! And I love Redg for “forcing” me into it. Hehe!

The funny thing about the pre-nup was the original schedule changed and some of the concepts were slightly altered. But in a good way because we ended up having several cameo appearances, from Jobe Nkemakolam of the Ateneo Blue Eagles to Mamang Pulis and Mamang Sorbetero of UP People in the Neighborhood.

It was a little embarrassing walking around in the Gesu-Bellarmine area in a white flowy dress while a big group of students were there, but then they don’t know me so I really shouldn’t care. But I had to giggle when Jobe suddenly asked, “para san yan?” to which we had to answer for our wedding. And to which he answered, “I love weddings!” This gave me the courage to ask him for a photo with us, to which he willingly obliged. Jobe is such a sweet and polite person. He shook our hands and introduced himself to us after wards. I think he knew we knew him, but I think it was his way of getting our names. I’ve always loved Jobe and I love love love him more after that.

While we were taking some shots at the Ateneo football field naman, there was this foreigner dude, who while changing his shirt shouted “congratulations” to us. I yelled a “thank you!” back. Then another couple was taking photos of us having our photos taken. So I’m kinda fearing that we might be in somebody’s multiply site already. Hehe! Good thing it was already dark and the most they can get are silhouettes.

So. It was fun! I had a great time and Redg was enjoyable to work with as usual. His energy was infectious, which was why my usual “Pinay Tough Model” attitude in front of the camera melted away and I was game most of the time. Including the lambing poses. Yes, he got me to do lambing poses.

He actually should have had his photos taken himself with all the lying down and other contortions he had to do to make us look good.

The photos looked fun. I do have a big red zit, but I don’t plan to have it photoshopped away… because it doesn’t really matter. I am a little concerned with the tummy paunch though. Hehe!

Anyhoo… the photographer suggested a photo a week para suspense. Hehe! so I’ll post one after this. :)

the church
the reception
the motif
the proposal
the engagement ring
the invitations
countdown
the pre-nups story
photo of the week 1
the photographer
photo of the week 2
musings #1

it was the product of a lot of planning and several connivances with a slew of accomplices. however, things did not turn out as expected. but mostly in a nice way. there was a delayed dinner and a near-irritated girl hungry and wanting her dinner (sino kaya yun?). so we ended up having a witness and documentor to the "event" because my officemate and his room mate, sonny, had tummy troubles and was not able to do his field work so i dragged him along. thus, while the proposal was happening, sonny was clicking away using dixie (Nikon D40X). i actually thought he just wanted to play with my camera. obviously, i was mistaken.

as seen in the slideshow below, jan used a scrapbook for his proposal. when he gave it to me, i thought it was just a scrapbook. i mean, of course, it's not JUST a scrapbook... but i didn't think of it as a proposal. i absolutely did not see it coming.

and how much of an idiot am i? well, first, i was not paying full attention to it yet because the television was on and i caught glimpse PBB Celebrity Edition 2 when gaby just returned to the kuya's house. but when i realized that the pages were filled some un-mushy mush, i finally gave my full concentration as mush in quite uncharacteristic of jan. but i still had no idea. i just kept teasing jan... "uy, crush niya ako!" or "naks! mushy ka rin pala." or "aba, tinopak ka!"

i eventually came to a page with green sinamay. there was a piece of paper stuck on it with the words written, "Angie, mahal na mahal kita. Maari ba kitang makasama at makalakbay ng habangbuhay?"

you think i would have gotten it already.

na-ah! i had to tease him again, "uuuuyyyy!" it took about three seconds before i thought of reading again and that light bulb finally struck. another second and i notice that there was a flap on that green sinamay page. i lifted it and there it was - a peridot gem on white gold band - tied to the scrapbook.

so while rojean (also an accomplice), expected tears from me, i ended up laughing and laughing and laughing. at my idiocy, and at the carefully planned surprise. and yes, i forgot to say yes. i just kept hugging him and laughing. but i did ask eventually, "di pa kita sinasagot ano?" until I finally said, "syempre." then told him, "isuot mo naman!" hehe!

Additional anecdote:
the proposal happened last 27 november 2007, the day before he was going to leave for manila. there was no romantic setting whatsoever, but it involved a lot of diversion tactics. and my mom was informed that it was going to happen that night. fancy that.

but it was before that when jan asked permission from my mom. july to be exact. just as she was leaving for a two month stay at the states. and my mom, usually unable to contain news like that, she shared it to my siblings. she even ended up letting me know about it during one of our phone conversations while she was in the states.

M: blah-blah
A: blah-blah
M: nag-propose na ba si jan sa iyo?
A: huh? hindi pa noh. sasabihin ko naman sa iyo kung nag-propose siya. di no.
M: mag-propose naman daw siya sa iyo. may singsing na daw siya.
A: ma, sasabihan kita kung nangyari iyon. kelan ba naman ako di nagsabi ng mga bagay na ganyan.
and then change topic.

i really actually didn't give it much thought afterwards. i didn't want to ruin his efforts, as well as the surprise when the time comes. and the fact that he wants to marry me was nothing really new since he's mentioned it a couple of times. so i conveniently forgot about that tale from a little birdie. which was a good idea because i was genuinely surprised and happy.

some of the accomplices:
sonny (my officemate, his housemate, our friend) - he saw the whole thing being made
jerry (fellow fun house kid aka fuhker) - who was willing to share his printer
tatit (one of fuhker queens) - consultant to method of proposal
rojean (jvp batch mate) - consultant to procurement of supplies

while my dream proposal would have involved neil gaiman somewhere in the picture (and another couple beat us to it during the ad congress), i couldn't be any happier with how jan did it. it made up for his unromanticism. ;p

It's weird, really. My favorite color is blue and brown, so I would have thought I'd have chosen either of the two for the motif (with an inclination for brown, it being an earth color).

While Jan and I were discussing details about the wedding, I asked him what he thought would be a good motif. He suggested green since it was the color of peridot, my birthstone. At first, I was like, "but that's the color of DLSU!" Of course, I meant it in jest. (And thankfully, it won't be UAAP season by the time of the wedding so Ateneo can not blame me for disloyalty. Hehe!) However, I never really thought of green. I pondered for a while and thought, "well... it is still an earth color... and I can say the color of my work is green." So we decided on green. But I insisted on a darker shade, maybe forest green or olive green. Definitely not neon, and am not inclined to bright or pastel shades either.

Now, because of a Daily OM article, I feel a sense of serendipity with green. I never realized how perfect the color was for Jan and I as discussed below in the Daily OM 24 March 2008 article about the color green.

Unifier Of Opposites
The Color Green

Green is a combination of the colors yellow and blue, each of which brings its own unique energy to the overall feeling of the color green. Blue exudes calm and peace, while yellow radiates liveliness and high levels of energy. As a marriage between these two very different colors, green is a unifier of opposites, offering both the excitement of yellow and the tranquility of blue. It energizes blue’s passivity and soothes yellow’s intensity, inspiring us to be both active and peaceful at the same time. It is a mainstay of the seasons of spring and summer, thus symbolizing birth and growth.

Green is one of the reasons that spring instigates so much excitement and activity. As a visual harbinger of the end of winter, green stems and leaves shoot up and out from the dark branches of trees and the muddy ground, letting us know that it’s safe for us to come out, too. In this way, green invites us to shed our layers and open ourselves to the outside world, not in a frantic way, but with an easygoing excitement that draws us outside just to sniff the spring air. Unlike almost any other color, green seems to have its own smell, an intoxicating combination of sun and sky—earthy, bright, and clean. In the best-case scenario, it stops us in our tracks and reminds us to appreciate the great experience of simply being alive.

Green balances our energy so that, in looking at it, we feel confident that growth is inevitable. It also gives us the energy to contribute to the process of growth, to nurture ourselves appropriately, without becoming overly attached to our part in the process. Green reminds us to let go and let nature do her work, while at the same time giving us the energy to do our own.

Interesting, noh? And so perfect for the two of us too. Jan, blue and I, yellow. One, the temperance of the other. The other, the energy of the one.

It's not easy being green, says Kermit. Maybe not. But I hope it will be a whole lot of fun for us this June 13. ;p

jan actually took painstaking care in looking for an engagement ring (so he claims. hehe! and i believe him). he asked me what i felt about diamonds before. and unlike the typical girl, i told him i'm not a fan of it.

so that might have led him to the idea of getting me a ring with my birthstone on it. it was only actually when he presented me with the ring that i discovered what a peridot looks like.

afterwards, i did some research on peridot and liked what i found out. i loved that it is also called "evening emerald" or "olivine" because i like emeralds and i enjoy olives. Hehe!


some of the facts i picked up about peridot:

The vivid green of the peridot, with just a slight hint of gold, is the ideal gemstone colour to go with that light summer wardrobe. No wonder – since the peridot is the gemstone of the summer month of August.

The ancient Romans too were fond of this gemstone and esteemed its radiant green shine, which does not change even in artificial light. For that reason they nicknamed it the 'emerald of the evening'.

The peridot is one of the few gemstones which come in one colour only. The rich, green colour with the slight tinge of gold is caused by very fine traces of iron. From a chemical point of view, peridot is an iron magnesium silicate. The intensity of the colour depends on the amount of iron actually present.

These facts I got from this website. You can find out about other gems from that site as well. :)

Date: 13 June 2008, Friday
Church: 4 PM Nuestra Senora de Gracia, Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City
Reception: 7 PM Greenmeadows Clubhouse, Greenmeadows Subdivision

The first time I was able to encounter the Greenmeadows Clubhouse was during my matron-of-honor's wedding, where they had their reception. It was actually a nice, comfortable and roomy venue, without feeling like it was huge. Homey. Just the way Jan and I like things. But it was actually a long sojourn before we were able to finalize having the Greenmeadows Clubhouse as our reception venue.

Our first choice was really Sanctuario de San Antonio Parish Hall. It was near enough our church and could accommodate our initial guest list of 300 (!!! yes, yes. ang dami...). But. This is where our Friday the 13th luck faltered. June 13 just happened to be the Feast Day of San Antonio de Padua so the Sanctuario de San Antonio was unavailable. Boo.

So Jan had to quest for the venue for several months. He tried the Philippine Army Officer's Club but they took too long in giving us a quotation. The PAOC also had this fine print that should any national emergency occur, they can automatically cancel any event held there. Hmmm... a day after Independence Day... who knows what Trillanes might try. So that was off the list.

Lots of friends gave us leads (thanks guys! You know who you are!) to venues. From North Forbes to Bel-Air to Blue Leaf (can afford if we try to, but we don't want to. hehe!). But most of the venues can not accommodate more than 250 guests.

We were down to two venues: Lepanto Penthouse and Greenmeadows Clubhouse. If by feel, we like Greenmeadows. But then there were a lot of things to consider. It will be a payday Friday and traffic will be terrible. Getting to Greenmeadows from Guadalupe may take a while. On the other hand, if we book Lepanto, the guests will have trouble with parking and Makati one-way roads.

I did a survey with some friends, and most of them answered the same thing. True friends will go wherever it is we would like to have our venue, through hell and high waters. Thank you, guys! In the end, we decided on Greenmeadows Clubhouse.

It was a few weeks after the proposal and just a few days before I was due to fly to Manila. Jan mentioned during a phone call that he found a church he really liked to get married in. (*Jan thanks Ninang Carmela who gave the heads up.) He said he would take me there as soon as I get to Manila. I was unfamiliar with Nuestra Senora de Gracia in Guadalupe, even though for around seven years of my life the jeep I rode home frequently passed it by.

Finally, I got to Manila and he took me to the church. The moment the car turned the gate and I saw the facade, I immediately fell in love with it. It was simply beautiful. I loved how it seemed to bring you back in time. Never mind the cars parked, instead of the horse carriages. "Yes, I'd like to get married there!" I haven't even checked the inside. Hehe!

It was timing that we arrived there while a wedding was going on. We snuck inside and watched. The lighting was beautiful in the inside, perfect for dramatic pictures. Then I remembered to check the aisle. Perfect! Not too long. I dread walking a long aisle in heels. And just enough time for me to revel in the people, look at the groom and not want to run back to my mother (except she would already be there waiting by the aisle. hehe!)


We reserved the church right then and there. Jan and I both felt that it the place we wanted to have our ceremonies. Our reservation was timing, too! When we paid the weekend after our visit, the rates just increased! If we didn't reserve beforehand, we'd have been covered by the new rates. *Cringe*

It was only during our third visit that we realized it was a bit warm. So for those who will join us in the ceremonies, kindly bring fans. There are electric fans available, but it may still be a little uncomfortable.