VinJoiel

Ay sus berdey ko na ulet….isang taon na naman ang napadagdag sa aking edad…hanubayan…. Eto wari ko ba ay patanda na ng patanda hehehe…..feeling young pa rin, young at heart e…. Labs gift is a Burberry watch…luv it….thanks labs…. Dinner at Sakura with some JES friends who does not have any idea it’s my birthday nyehehe.. Friends & Family who greets me: Labs Rachel Lumen Marie Gary Ghe Dennis Ayds Zaldo Allan Inay Red John Azel Lolit Blu Wena Mhy Rigor Malu Beth Dex Balot May Thank you all for remembering…..

Progress photos sent by Wena : Looks like the 2nd floor column / slab has been casted. Contractor works so fast as it’s only day20 of the 90d contract. We’re all happy it’s going fast. We are thinking about the rainy season that will slow down the construction but on this fast phase, the roof will soon be installed and will help a lot for work continuity when the rain comes…

Our 6th church wedding anniversary. Mamya pala mag 10 years na kami, imagine we were married in civil ceremony for 8 years this December. Sabi nila you can renew vows na daw ulet after 10yrs…hmmmm…. heniwey Hapi Anniv Giliw…..may we continue to have blissful life together in the years to come!! And to celebrate, we went to attend the 10am tagalog mass at Novena Church, saw Sonia/Alan & Tedie/Lala after the mass then we went to lunch at Sizzler Suntec… btw and unfortunately typhoon Frank wreak havoc in Phils., even causing a passenger ship to shrink…how sad….

Ang JES e nag-arrange ng family day sa kanilang employee and porke si labs e andun pa rin siempre kasama pa rin nya ako sa family night. Saw some of my previous PMs / Dept Heads / Colleagues / Friends – such a great time seeing all of them again. Some asks if I will return back to JES hehe… Here’s some photos taken with group of friends:

Flight back to Singapore. Such a short trip….. And Happy Father’s Day to all padirs….. Specially ke AMA….

Went to San Jose for some St. Benedict medallions. Columns footings will be cast tomorrow and as normal “erehiya”, we have to put something on the footing daw. Normally the following will be casted together with the footing: - Asin (don’t know for what) - Asukal (don’t know for what) - Benditadong palaspas (probably for blessing) - Coins (for prosperity, of course…I’ll put in Singapore dollar coins para times 32 hehe) - and most people say this St Benedict medallions as St. Benedict pala is the patron saint/protector of the house So, have to drive to San Jose and buy about 50 small medallions for the ten columns. As it is, diretso na rin kami sa Robinson Lipa for some lakwatsa specially the kids.

Morning time – had a talk with the subcon on the type of finishes for the house, full understanding of contract and schedule of payment. After Lunch – went to city with the kids, play time…. Re: House Renovation Day 7 – still progressing on column footing excavation and house demolition

Umuwi muna ako ng Pinas kaninang madaling araw para sa ilang papeles na kelangan ko ayusin. Dumating dito sa Batangas ng 8am, punta ng bank ng 10am, meet-up with concern people and finalize deal by 2pm. Afterwards, lakwatsa time with the beautiful kids…. Re: House Renovation Day 6 – progress on house demolition

Demolition starts today, I have mix feelings because the ancestral home is really really old…. This is the house that has been in my grandparents possession as far as I can remember, granted there were so many additions / renovations done but I still remember this house with the ground floor only done in bamboo slats as walls, flooring as rough cement, a rectangular heavy wood dining table that’s really is so big that more often being borrowed by neighbors during wedding receptions, with chairs what we called “bangko”. I remember all of us cousins / aunts / uncles at one time or another have lived in the house. All the ‘apos’ eating on the same big table. There’s Belen always falling asleep during dinner; there’s Mamay making an egg shape out of sinangag so some of the smaller kids will have the motivation to eat. There’s a big basket hanging over the table where Nanay keep the fruits and bread. This is the house I remember having an old style wood chair on the second floor as sala set...

Today is moving out day.... After searching for temporary place to stay during house construction, they've found the perfect place: - not too crowded - not much worries on kids probably going out to the streets - quiet place - cheaper rent - same area location as the old house And now they have to move and settle down.... Specially the kids, who will probably find it strange at first...

After so many years of planning, asking twice for quotations, checking budget if possible, etc..etc… Finally the ancestral house renovation will push through…. Contract signing done…demolition will follow soon… This is a big step for us, we hope all will work out well….

Uy may mini fiesta sa aming barrio ngayon, ika sampung taon kaarawan ng Patron Cruz. Kumbaga sa batangas ang tawag dito e fiesta sa kalye hindi sa bahay bahay, kasi fiesta nga matuturing pero mas madami ang walang handa pagkain sa bahay bahay… Ang selebrasyon at saya ay nasa chapel at nasa kalsada…. Siempre me banda ng musiko at itong aming bunini, nakita lang ang majoret e nagpabihis na ng kanyang magandang palda, boots, kumuha ng patpat at ginaya na ang majoret…..kaaaliw si bunini… Nung gabi ng fiesta pagkatapos ng pursisyon, me battle of the band at pers time manuod ni Iel, at the same time pers time uuwi ng madaling araw… Si Jolo M, super worried sa kanyang kuya at ang bilin sa kanyang Inay e wag daw isasara ang bahay at papatayin ilaw kasi wala pa daw kuya nya…so sweet… Katuwa aking mga pangpangkin… Happy Fiesta Sambat….

Hapi berdey kambal na Rigor at Rachel.... more blessings come your way....

Pinay wins Emirate Business Women Award - report 05/26/2008 10:34 PM MANILA, Philippines - A Filipino chemist who became an engineer and chief executive officer of Geoscience Testing Laboratory in Dubai became the first Filipino woman to win the Emirates Business Women Award.Online news site Khaleej Times reported Monday night that Mary Jane Alvero-Al Mahdi bagged the first runner-up in the Professional Category of the EBWA 2008."Lifting the morale and lives of my kababayans (fellow countrymen) has always been embedded in my heart, and I will never fail them as I strongly believe that Filipinos have world-class talents and intelligence and the highest degree of professionalism," she said.Al-Mahdi became the first Filipino to receive such a prestigious honor in the United Arab Emirates.Handing out the professional and business awards were Shaikh Saeed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.Married to an Emirati, Al Mahdi is a holder of Master in Quality Management degree from the...

Ito pong si Jolo M. tuwang tuwa mangulekta ng pets, meron sya itik, aquarium at gusto pang bumili ng love birds. Entonces sa kakukulit, binili rin sya ng love birds na walang hawla…tapos ang next na kinulit e ang pagbili ng hawla at lagi tinatawagan Papa nya para samahan sya tumingin daw ng bahay ng mga ibon nya… Ganito pa ha, magaling gumawa ng kuento…ang sabi sa Papa nya e sabi daw ng Inay nya e samahan sya mag tingin ng hawla, nung matapos sila tumingin ang sabi naman sa Inay nya e okay na daw yung nagustuhan nya hawla para sa Papa nya at puede na daw bilhin…maloko no…. Kaya ayun kahit me kamahalan yung hawla ng ibon e natuloy pa rin ang gusto nya para sa kanyang mga Love Birds….

Binabati ko lahat ng mga ina sa araw na ito... lalong lalo na sa aming nag-iisang madir......

Again, my friend from Uni days...Mr. Rosaldo de Castro came in transit from his business trip for a short visit.. Fetch him from the airport on Friday, spend Saturday at the new Singapore Flyer, then dinner at Suntec City and watch the dancing fountain...Sunday was spent at the mall and dinner at No Signboard Restaurant in Vivo city... Masaya kami catching up, he went off on Monday to continue his business trip to Myanmar, Korea and then back to home base Dubai... I'm sure I'll see him again sometime soon... So how about the rest of you friends?? when are you going to visit....

April Fools day....what a day to start work.... baka lokohan to ah.... will let you all know a month from now....

21Mar - flight to pinas around 12.40am, arrived in Batangas by 7am. It’s Good Friday but basically dozed on-off for the whole morning till late afternoon…it’s so hot…Went to Wena’s place in the evening for the annual procession. I feel that it’s not what it used to be when I was younger and spending holy week in the province. I remember my ‘mamay’ (lolo) asking us to be still and not to make too much noise during the whole holy week. No TV, no music, no going out, no noise…instead it’s all prayers, pasyon among the olds and that’s it. Today is my first holy week after being out of the country for about 10yrs and it’s not the same anymore. There’s less meaning?? You can only feel that it’s holy week in the church itself. No more pabasa ng pasyon, the kids are watching tv, playing computer games. Even the adults are not the same anymore…I don’t know maybe it’s only me… anyway here are some of the photos taken during procession… Umiyak si Vince....si Nini hindi takot.... 22Mar – even th...