In March and April, I went from being haphazardly busy to being unapologetically lethargic. I had a few bouts with discontent and petty misunderstandings with the people closest to me. But in the end, I am thankful to be in a relatively good place right now. For the past month, I got myself preoccupied with meeting friends (and friends by extension, hehe) and family reunions.
Behold the photo dump. :))
In the spirit of trying new things, Gabriel and I attended Mass together, had lunch and watched a movie in Eastwood on March 28th. Afterwards, we headed to the Game Day at Maginhawa he organized, where we took his friends to a couple of our favorite places.
We had tons of fun because we didn't expect the turn up rate to be that high. Haha! One half of the group played, of course, Magic, while the other half played Resilience: Survive and Thrive. Simulating the building of communities in the Philippines, Resilience is a tabletop game developed by Balangay Entertainment in partnership with the University of the Philippines. One of Gabriel's friends, Nico, is the lead game designer and I honestly can't help but be amazed by the premise and over-all mechanics of the game, given that it is socially relevant. I do hope that the game gains traction, especially in schools–whether in grade school or post-graduate levels, or even in the policy-making level, Resilience gets players to think critically and appreciate the realities of environmental economics more.
The lovely people at Dorissimo thankfully didn't boot us out even if we virtually hogged most of the space and took our sweet time playing games while having their (highly-recommended!) cakes and tea. :)
To get in the mood for the then about-to-premiere fifth season of Game of Thrones, I think, Gabriel surprised me with a copy of The World of Ice and Fire some weeks ago. Naturally, I squealed in delight because I have wanted to have a copy of it since its release late last year.
The book is like an almanac for Westeros and beyond, and I absolutely adore everything about it–from the soft velvety cover that makes it feel like a legitimate tome, to the gorgeous sweeping artworks. I'm such a happy fangirl. ♥
From April 15-17, I was fortunate to attend a seminar-workshop on public messaging during emergencies. Sugong Bagani: Envoy Warrior was hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs, the US State Department, and the partners of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. The delegates coming from 11 different countries shared their best practices during times of emergencies, especially those concerning nuclear technology. It was my first international conference and I have yet to learn the ropes of networking and I am so terribly awkward of course, but I am really glad to have taken part in this. We had tabletop exercises, plenary sessions, and group activities.
 |
| It's our office chief in the middle photo right there, presenting his group's assessments on the scenarios we were given to analyze. |
It's remarkable how the expert in different fields, from different countries, deal with disaster situations, but with the same goal in mind. To ensure the safety and protection of the public. Somehow, I got challenged to become a more competitive communicator and be at par with the people I met those three days.
Also, since the conference was held in Makati, I had a visitor for all the three days I was there, complete with take-home treats. Haha. I was very spoiled, I must say. :))
After the three-day adventure in the South, I was back to the usual grind and finally found time to settle down in my new office space. Yey! I now share a room with another colleague, but I have a corner all to myself. Gabriel, again spoiling me, gave a a cute blue desk cabinet that goes very well with the pink box full of sticky notes he gave me last February. I'd like to think my table looks very cute now, and it kinda makes me look forward to getting to work everyday.
On April 19th, for another change of pace (haha), Gabriel and I went to church in UP and then walked around the campus and explored the spankin' new National Science Complex. I wasn't able to take decent pictures, but it was my first time to walk around the complex and I am really glad to see the progress being made in upgrading the facilities in the University. Gabriel and I agreed that while all these new buildings and structures would be great modification in the UP life we both have known, we do not envy the current and future isko and iska. Instead, I am honestly happy for them. I hope that the research and development aspect of the University continue to improve, and ultimately benefit the Filipino public.
 |
| The undergrad date we never had. :) |
Haggard and hungry from the jog-walk under the sun, we had breakfast at ChocoKiss. It's been a long time since I've been there, and it did feel like it's the date with each other we never had as undergrads in UP. Yeaaahh. :D
On April 24, a Friday, I got a call from Claire telling me to ditch my scheduled session at the gym and come have dinner with her at Maginhawa, to celebrate her getting a new job. The anxiety and effort for the past week paid off for her as she got the job that will launch her journey on a totally new career path. I'm so glad she got the position, and fervently hope that things will work out for the better. Woohoo, cheers!
On April 26, our clan was tasked to host the reunion of the my grandmother's extended clan. Since we were the hosts, the reunion was held here in Rizal. Haha! Ever since I can remember, we have been attending this reunion every summer–usually taking place in Laguna, Bulacan, or Batangas, depending on the hosting clan. It was the second time I took Gabriel with me to a large family gathering and I am glad that the tito's and tita's and cousins treated him as part of the family already. :) So much so that I even had him wash the dishes with me. "Isipin mo na lang, ito ang version ko ng pagsisibak ng kahoy," he said. Haha!
There were a good many mishaps, but the venue was nice and the younger ones got to play tennis and volleyball, while the others dipped in the pool under the sweltering summer sun. I had too much fun playing with Vernice, my cousin's turning-two year old girl and definitely my favorite inaanak.
On May 2, we celebrated Nanay Norma's and Zax's birthday in Marikina. It became a sort of reunion for our family on my father's side and we had amazing time catching up. I haven't been able to visit Marikina in a long while, and like almost all of the rest, I had a startling realization that my cousins are so big and grown-up now!
 |
| Zax is so bait and cute!! ♥ |
Everyone said I gained weight, and it was a very welcome news for them, it seems. My "I have a boyfriend now" news was also met with an applause and a "Hindi na manang si Riza" remark. HAHAHAHA
Just last Monday, May 4, the littlest sister Mary Ann celebrated her
18th birthday. Gabriel and I took the whole family for a buffet lunch at
Guevarra's. Gabriel gave the debutante a bouquet of edible flowers.
Haha. I can say that he's very sweet. 8D
So there. One month left for this year's summer!
