Being a W@Wie

What's that?

Well, that's how members of WeddingsAtWork yahoogroup call themselves.

I got the idea to subscribe to this mailing list from my uber pretty BFF na walang sinabi si Joyce Jimenez, Claire (tinatadtad ko sya ng praises kasi malapit na birthday nya and she offered, yes unbelievable - she offered!, to sponsor our unity coins). It's a group of brides-to-be (B2Bs) and husbands-to-be (H2Bs) discussing their plans, asking feedbacks about their prospect suppliers and sharing their creative ideas for wedding preparations that you can steal (hehehe). Also newlyweds W@Wies are still around to rate the suppliers they booked for their own wedding and to give much appreciated guidance to the anxious B2Bs.

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Wanted: Wedding Planner

December 28, 2009 is the date.

Harley and I chose it because it's the most convenient for us. His family and relatives and our global friends can just singit attending the wedding when they go home for the holidays. It's still far - still a year and a half from now but would you believe it that I'm starting to get stressed out? Now that it's been two days since Harley went back to Kuwait, the engagement bliss is fading and fading fast! As I spend more time than usual in the shower imagining how the big day should look like I had to shake my head and wonder, what have I gotten myself into? I now have to look at my rocks to remind myself how happy I felt when I said 'Yes' :

I should not worry much about the preparations because that's the job of a wedding planner but I don't have one in mind yet. So, help?

I've taken the first step by screening some candidates through emails but I still prefer a friend to personally recommend or vouch for someone. I'm inexperienced of this. This is my first time to get married after all. So please if you can recommend a wedding planner, do drop me a message. Or if you or you know someone who hired any of the following planners we're eyeing to get, please send me comments.

• Romel Pareja
• Floralyn Sevilla (http://www.ralynsdesign.multiply.com/ and http://www.abbyseanevents.multiply.com/)
• Right Connect Weddings
• Koncepts and More
  
  

Thank God I have two beautiful friends (Ria and Claire) already experienced about this sort of stuffs. I've been bombarding them with tons of emails asking their opinions about this or that. I hope they're not annoyed of my pestering. Well I'm annoyed with myself, worrying prematurely.. darn! It's still 1.5 year from now Georgia, so shut up for now... will ya?

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Taking a Bath

Bath, Somerset is a city in the south west of England. It's a famous tourist destination because of the Roman Baths (used by the Celts during 70-90 AD and later by the Romans when they invaded England), the Thermae Spa (if you want to sample Bath's famous hot springs in style) and the Georgian architectures of most of its buildings. Also, fans of Jane Austen, the author of Pride and Prejudice who lived here before, try to retrace her steps and find out for themselves what's in Bath that inspired Austen's famous literary works. It is another must-see city of UK, a country that seems like a one gigantic themed park.

View our pics.

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Scotland: the Highlands & Edinburgh

Harley and I went to Scotland during the long weekend (May 24-26). I had long wanted to visit this picturesque part of UK but decided to wait for Spring and of course, wait for my poging boyfriend. It's just so much fun travelling with him. Not only that I have someone to talk to during the long hours of commute, but he carries, with no sign of protest whatsoever, all my bags! Oh such strength and gallantry... He gives me all the leisure to strut, guaranteed poised na poised to explore the place we we’ll be visiting, hehehe :p

Scotland is like Manila-Cebu in distance from London. It’s 1 hour by plane, 5 hours by train. Harley and I took a coach tour to the Highlands leaving from Glasgow on Saturday morning. Though the trip was long, it was unexpectedly relaxing. Yeah it did feel cramped sitting for hours in the bus but I didn’t bother me because the sceneries we passed by were breathtaking. Cramped legs and aching neck from craning towards the window the whole time were discomforts that were all worth it. From unspoiled lochs (lakes), rugged mountains, misty marshes and fertile fields, the Highlands were truly magnificent. We were also extremely lucky because the weather was great. The sky was clear enough to give us a view of the tip of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in UK.

Our last stop for that day was Inverness, which literally means at the mouth of the river (inver) Ness, a river that flows from Loch Ness. You are perhaps familiar with a legend about a monster lurking in the deep waters of a lake? Well, that’s the Loch Ness Monster, aka Nessie (very cute name… :| ). They say it’s deeper than the North Sea. That’s why highlanders seemed convinced that for a lake with much space below it there’s surely a huge creature (or creatures and one of them happened to be Nessie) living in its deep waters. Well I am much more inclined to think that there’s perhaps a mermaid kingdom at the bottom and its mermaid princess is named Ariel and she has a lobster called Sebastian…. (oh, stop it!)

Inverness is the capital of the Highlands. It has an airport, a high street and a mall with famous shops like Debenhams and Primark. It is an ideal place to getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life but you can still get a fix of wireless internet in case you miss “civilization”. Inverness now holds a dear place in my heart. It’s where after all that I got engaged… visit my blog for more details *wink*.

We arrived at Edinburgh on Sunday evening and managed to hang out with Michy in a pub. Then we spent the whole Monday exploring the magical city. Every building it seemed in that city was influenced from this or that architecture (from Greek to Roman, Gothic to Victorian). It’s like the whole city was parang drawing lang - if you get what I mean. It catapulted me to imagine-land. It had an ambience that made me feel nostalgic, as if I could actually feel its rich history. I definitely want to go there again, because only a day there was so bitin…

View our pics.

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By the River Ness

On our first night in Inverness Scotland, Harley insisted we looked for a fancy place to dine out. We found a lovely restaurant (The Mustard Seed) and seeming like it was our very lucky day, we were given a table directly overlooking the river Ness even if we had no reservations and it's already almost fully booked. While sipping a glass of Saugvinon Blanc after the sumptuous main course, Harley ceremoniously handed me my long-awaited birthday gift. Though I had already known what it was (an LV bag that he had blurted out to me months before because he just couldn't keep a secret), I was still like a kid on Christmas morn eagerly tearing the gift wrapper apart. I was just simply in awe that he gave me a designer bag. He admitted it's a very impractical buy but he was willing to splurge out because to own one had been a fantasy of mine.

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Flying High

I flew from Manila back to UK on Monday and I did it with pizzaz… I flew business class! Why? Because all economy seats were taken, forcing my manager to concede the upgrade. (I better pray economy's fully booked everytime I am scheduled to fly from now on... LOL :p) It was my first time ever, so pardon me if I seem so ignorante (how do you say this in English?) and this entry will babble on and on about it. So what are the differences? Oh well loads! I finally understand why David Buenvacz & his wife Jessica insisted to fly business class even to the extent of allegedly misusing Beverly Hills 6750's funds... That's your daily dose of outdated chismis from me. For the updated chismis, you know what name to shout - Ria! :p

I already started to experience the business class treatment even before boarding the plane. At NAIA I was given entry to the lounge that had unlimited brewed coffee, sandwiches, mami, siopao, fruit bowls... etc. Boy I was so glad because I didn't have a decent breakfast that morning. And during boarding I didn't have to queue. When the ground steward noticed that my ticket's business class he immediately ushered me past the long line of passengers announcing not so discreetly, 'Padaanin nyo si ma'am, business class yan!' Well that inspired me to don my big sunglasses, fling my shoulder-length hair (kahit di sya sumunod sa galaw ko) and strut my way to the plane. I must have looked like an unknown or worse a "laos" starlet (hahahaha!).

One obvious difference of business class was the leg room, it's more than enough to stretch out my not so long legs comfortably. The seat was totally delightful. You could just press a button and voila! it would convert in a mini bed. I almost forgot I was in an airplane because the food was simply divine. Every course (yes, course - appetizer, main course... the works!) was well presented and tasted as if there was a chef on board. Once they started serving drinks, I immediately took advantage that the wine was unlimited. I already finished two glasses of champagne even before an hour of flight passed. So I must have been grinning all throughout the Bee Movie (oo tipsy na yata!). Another difference was the "quality" of the passengers. Most of the guys seemed CEOish, looking so smart tapping away on their laptops. Most of the ladies seemed donyatiks… two mature ladies sitting in front of me were even conversing in Spanish that I was tempted to butt in and say "Ola mi amigas! Como estas tu? Yo soy muy bonita!"…. It was a good thing I didn't have that much champagne :p

the leg room

course #1

course #2

Everytime I fly, I am heady with joy. Oh it doesn't have to be business class. I can survive 16 hours of flight in a cramped economy section. Well it's the flying per se. That it can either mean I am going home to my family (to spend my pounds, hahaha) or that I am going to Manila, Japan, UK, Timbuktu or to some other place where I can plant a flag with bold letters that "Georgia was here". Kapila naman tika nakit-an nga ga-impake day oi, I remember this is my Mama's comment everytime she sees me preparing for a flight. Oh I am not a super frequent traveller; my passport still has a lot of blank pages. But the fact that I have been to places (some for free!) miles away from my humble little island of birth, Cebu, is enough for me to bow my head in gratitude. Again, I feel so blessed.

The only thing that ruined my business class day was that my HP laptop broke down on me while I was waiting for my connection flight in Amsterdam. The monitor suddenly flickered like crazy that it was impossible to decipher where to input my logon user and password. Even after cleaning the inch-thick dust on my keyboard (because I thought it was its way of complaining it needed some TLC), it still wouldn't budge and behave... darn! Since I simply can't survive without a laptop (aside from I use it to download my weekly fix of American Idol, I also use it to chat to my family and friends – keeping me in touch), I had no choice but to swipe my credit card for a new one the following day. I decided no more HP even if it's relatively cheaper compared to other brands with the same set of features (may tampo na ako sa HP!). I bought a pink Sony Vaio instead. Oh it's not because it's pink, I chose it because of its impressive features. And the most impressive feature happens to be that its colour is pink…

my Sony VAIO perfectly matches my bedsheet :p

P.S. My Papa is out of the hospital. He's recovering and he needs to take things slow from now on. Thank you for all your prayers :)

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An Unexpected Journey

On Friday I received a devastating news that my Papa was rushed to Cebu Doctors' Hospital. He had difficulty breathing and was coughing non-stop. Findings were pneumonia and ischemia. Pneumonia, I know. Not really something to worry about since it was diagnosed early on. Ischemia, I don't know. To me since it sounded too scientific I immediately worried. And true enough after googling it I had a reason to be because it is a heart related ailment. In fact after a few hours of being admitted, he was rushed to the CVU/CCU (Cardiovascular Center) for 2 to 3 days observation.

I am still shocked. I had never thought, had never imagined that my Papa whom I had always known as the very active, very restless that it would be difficult to ask him to stay in one place for a long time would be having a heart problem. In my mind I had always thought that he's the healthy one among my parents. I am now having difficulty accepting, and I do cringe even when writing this, the cruel truth that my Papa's body is now frail.

Finding out that I couldn't talk to him because phones are not allowed in the CVU made me even more panicky and frustrated. I have no choice but to see him then. Besides I also want to see him with my own two eyes ASAP. So I asked my manager to grant me 2 weeks off to go home. Thankfully he gave me permission, he told me I have nothing to worry about, he understands. The first available flight I booked is this Monday morning. And darn, it will take me 24 hours to get to Manila and more excruciating hours to fly to my beloved island. If only I can apparate or borrow some floo powder... Bloody hell!

So here I am now, my room's more in disarray than usual, busy packing for things to bring along this unexpected trip. I should be excited to go home but I still don't feel that now. I need to see, to be assured that he's recovering before the excitement will sink in.

I want him to live a long, healthy and enjoyable life. There are things I want him to do, places I want him to go. He still has to walk me down an aisle 5 years from now. He still has to play with my cute, adorable kids 3 years from now ... You never know, my kids might come first before me saying I do! So please, do include him in your prayers.

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Lady Godiva

Received a package from my BFF today. Sino sya? she's the most beautiful, sexy even if she just gave birth, sweet, kind, generous girl on the planet! Next to me, of course :p

The minute I got home, I immediately ripped the box open. And I wasn't at all disappointed what's inside. Each item I pulled out made my grin bigger and bigger. So this is how it feels to receive a balikbayan box.

• 2 blouses - 1 is made in US, the other 1 is made in China
• a skirt -with black tights & my killer boots, I'll look fierce with it! raarrrr...
• a dress - can't wait to show this off in the office :p)
• a pack of Bongbong's Piaya - absolutely my favorite
• a pack of dried mangoes - now I'm missing Cebu, sniff sniff
• a birthday card - she just recycled a leftover invitation card from Caleb's christening to say that all these cover all coming occasions - my birthday, labor day, independence day, halloween, christmas... indeed, so sweet :|
  
• a pack of mints - the giveaway from Caleb's christening
• 2 big bottles of Aveeno lotion - the culprit why the darn box was soooo heavy that I almost threw it to the river Thames while carrying on my way home. Yey! May Aveenos na ako.. wala kasi here sa UK, kainis. Naks, imported ang lotion ko :p
• 1 box of Godiva chocolates - I'm excited, controlling myself actually not to gobble it all. This is my first Godiva ever! Yeah, poor me.

See, Claire has outdone herself, again. Never expected she'll be galante two strikes in a row now (I'm remembering her lovely present for me last Christmas). US talaga is making her less and less kuripot. Keep it up, Claire! Thank you, thank you! By the way, Ria's birthday is in May.

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