Serenitea

     Today, my sisters and I were left at home with pretty much nothing to do. Come afternoon, we decided to drive to BF Homes and visit Serenitea, a place where they make and serve milk teas (which have sort of become a trend here in the Philippines. Milk tea stores). 

     Since I have never tried anything from that particular store before (which is ironic since it's the nearest one we have to our home), I don't know what to order. Especially now that I am not allowed to eat nor drink anything that has chocolate in it. So I looked at the store's 'specialty list' and decided to order something called "Hokkaido Milk Tea" and had it with 100% sugar.

My sisters :) 

Our number #13

With my usual hair-do nowadays

     Have I mentioned that I love Vanilla? Like, I'm obsessed with it. Wait. I swear this isn't random. It has a connection with what i'm about to say. I use Vanilla Shampoo, Vanilla Lotion and Vanilla Perfume. So in short, I smell or reek of Vanilla scent. Everywhere I go, no matter what brand it is or whatever you mix with it, I know the scent of Vanilla. 

Vanilla Silk Shampoo

Cozy Autumn Vanilla Lotion by Bath and Body Works 

Warm Vanilla Sugar Body Spray by Bath and Body Works

     With that, I practically know how Vanilla tastes like. Because you should know, our nose is connected to our mouth. So imagine my surprise when I had my 1st sip of my drink... it tasted like I sipped my shampoo, lotion and perfume. That's how sweet my milk tea was. I shivered at the sweetness. Trust me, I love sweets and nothing is ever "too sweet" for me. But my Hokkaido Milk Tea proved to me that there sure are always a first! 

Innovation 101

     Last night I was so lazy and still suffering from migraine when I had the sudden need to tie up my hair. But as I said, I was too lazy to get hair clips or scrunchies. I was plucking stray eyebrow hairs that time with my tweezers... then I surprised myself by twirling my hair into a bun and pinning it securely on its place with my tweezers. Haha! Tada! Who knew tweezers can be a handy pin for your hair? I didn't. Until last night.

Page 13 of 366

     You know how almost everyone on Twitter is referring to the day as a page of 2012 which has 366 days? Yeah, that's what's with the title. Don't worry, this'll be the 1st and last that I use as such for a title.
     Anyway, since Wednesday, Pachig's been asking me to meet him at Ayala Triangle at 8am on Friday. Even though it's so early, considering the facts that I don't have classes on Friday and that's the only day of the week wherein I don't need to wake up early and my migraine which has been torturing me for the entire week already, I still said yes. I haven't seen him since last year (Literally. Last time I saw him was Dec.31,2011).
     He gave me 2 specific instructions on what I shall do when I come to meet him: (1) I shall wear a dress and (2) braid my hair.
     I didn't ask him where we'd go and what we'd do. He said it was a surprise. I used to hate surprises. But this guy taught me to like them. And now I do like surprises. So I didn't ask.
     Come Friday, the 13th of January 2012, I got up at 6:30 in the morning and got ready. By 8am, I was in a van, commuting to Makati. I'm used to going to Makati, but I usually go down at Greenbelt or Landmark and the malls are open by that time. But that day was different. I was to go down at Ayala Triangle at 8 in the morning. I didn't have the fear of getting lost. I know the area well. But the idea of going down at the wrong place and having to walk around the business district in my floral dress and braided hair during rush hour in the country 's business district was quite preposterous. That would be so embarrassing.
     Luckily, I was born with a good sense of direction. Once I've been to a certain place once, you can never get me lost there. I'd know my way in and out of the area. I had the good sense of going down at Dela Costa Street where I know I'd just have to walk in an underpass and emerge in front of the Ayala Triangle already. So I got down and walked. Thankfully, the weather was nice. Sunny and yet the air was cool. So surreal for such a usually humid country.
     As I got near one of the entryways into the park, my cellphone rang and Pachig was calling me. I answered and he kept asking me if my dress was color brown. I frowned and looked down. My migraine has been causing my vision to blur a bit and i usually see dark spots around me... so I wasn't sure if my dress was indeed brown. He laughed and told me that he needed to hang up because he was going to hug someone. Before I can argue, I was being embraced and lifted off my feet as he swept me up and twirled us around. Haha. Cheesy right? Seems like a scene from a movie or something. But it was true. It happened. How I wish I had a photographer following me around and got shots of that particular moment.
He then treated me to a breakfast at Banapple. ♥

His Warm Chicken Salad Sandwich

My Lasagna Roll-Ups

     After eating, we walked around the park for a while. I've been there before... but always at night. We only visited the place before to watch the Symphony of Lights 2011, the dancing/musical Christmas lights display. At daylight, especially in the morning, many people are jogging around the place and some are even laying down their yoga mats and meditating there. It's such a serene place in the middle of a busy city. Kinda like the Central Park in New York, only a lot smaller.

"Lookie! I want my own helicopter too!"

No, I wasn't prepared for this photo. 

     Afterwards, we walked to Greenbelt then Landmark then Glorietta then SM Makati. Malls in Makati have bridges that connect them with one another. There were SALES everywhere! I wanted to buy so many things. But since Pachig just got out from work that morning, he wasn't in a mood to walk around the mall that much. So we only visited a few stores and I happened to buy these cute pair of booties for 50% off its original price!

     I shall visit the malls again soon! Or the sales will end. Anyway, that's how my Friday the 13th went. It was fun and memorable. I always feel lucky o Friday the 13th. Haha. In contrary to what most people believe that it's such an unlucky day. Well, sucks to be them. ;)

Who Says Big Girls Can't Play Dress-Up Anymore?

I'm not saying we're big in a literal way. But my sisters (16 and 22 years old) and I (20) were so bored while waiting for the clock to strike midnight on the evening of December 24, 2011 or Christmas Eve that we decided to play around with the webcam and make-up. Here, we call it Noche Buena. We wait for midnight and eat together with the family and start opening presents. But since it was just my sisters and grandfather with me, there wasn't much of a celebration.

L-R: Pam (my younger sister), Me, Maple (my eldest sister)

We thought of different characters as to who we'll copy. I instantly had an idea as to who I'll be. Can you guess?

No, I am NOT a vampire...I'm Snow White! 

I know, I know, I don't give justice to Snow White...but I wasn't really intending on dressing up like her and having 7 dwarfs with me. No. I just wanted her black hair, red lips and white skin.

Who's your favorite Disney Princess? Mine's Snow White...and Mulan (although technically, she's not a princess).

Christmas Gift: Better Late Than Never

December 31, 2011, my Bibi came over to my place at around 8 in the evening even though it was New Year's Eve. That was a huge deal for the both of us because Filipinos spend their night before the new year somewhere with their families and usually it's at home. So it was such a surprise and a sweet one at that, that he made an effort to come over and bring his late Christmas gift for me...as he promised.

Let's just say that he hasn't kept a lot of his promises before that's why this particular promise sort of surprised me when he kept his word for it. Although, as usual, he arrived late. I was supposed to leave at around 4pm to go to my relatives' house in Manila but had to postpone leaving because I was waiting for him.

Anyway, I'm not sure what this is called, but we refer to it as baseball jacket which it sort of is. He had it made especially for me! I don't really like the color combination because it reminds me a lot of my alma matter's which is a Montessori but the words embroidered in them are priceless. Only he and I can fully understand and appreciate it.

I had to use a cutter so as not to ruin the pretty wrapper
(which resembles something you'd give to newlyweds)

And finally, I can pop open the cover...

Tada! My Bibi's Christmas gift for me! ♥

So yeah, the wrapper was all silver and so was the ribbon but what the heck? I know he paid other people to wrap it for him because he is hopeless with wrapping things. And he says that's one of the reasons why he arrived late but i don't believe him.

This surely is one of the, if not the, sweetest gift anyone has ever given me! I thank God for blessing me with this guy. Even if he isn't my boyfriend...and probably never will be. :)

Can you read what it says on the back? :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! ♥