An open farewell-letter to my father-in-law

Bringing a handkerchief has never been a habit but logic told me that not bringing one at that particular occasion would be beyond foolish. And I was right. Tear-ducts were generous that morning.

It was a little past 3 in the morning when I was awakened by the sobbing husband. He said he got a text message from the mother saying that anytime then could be the time. After a few comfort words and hugs, we were on our feet preparing to leave. Barely had shower, barely had breakfast.

That was the longest 10 minute-wait before a cab stopped right in front of us. I mean, yes I understand it was barely dawn and the weather is at its best for hugging the pillows and hiding under the covers but aren't cabs supposed to show up fast in dire situations like this? 

We have already hopped inside the cab when Ralph's phone rang. The father had a seizure according to the voice on the other line. WE. MUST. HURRY.

One-day Cooking 101

I'm so excited because this shall be my first-ever housekeeping entry (I think). It's like posting this confirms the fact that I'm a legit wife now and that the wedding which was almost a month ago actually happened for realsss! 

OK so without further ado, let me present to you One-day Cooking 101. As a wife, a working one at that, one of the challenges I immediately faced and is still facing is time management. People who know me well would understand that I'm not the type to be busy cleaning the room, organizing closets, fixing the bed, doing the laundry, nor attending to dusty curtains and discolored bed sheets. I'm the type to watch endless DVDs, get lost in a book, play games on the phone, cut my hair, or DIY mani & pedi. You can imagine the kind of adjustment I had to go through to shift from that little girl who grew up couch potato-ing to a wife who's very busy and always mobile in the kitchen, the bathroom, and everywhere in the house (naks, as if ang laki ng bahay!) By the grace of God, it's been more than three weeks now since I changed from the lazy boarder at my parents' house to the responsible domestic goddess of our little nest. 3 weeks! And to think I wasn't able to do it a single day before! (Sorry Maaa!)

Anyway, going back to Time Management, it's been really hard you know. The rants on how my sleeping hours had to give way to my wife duties will be saved for another entry but today, I'll be sharing a brilliant technique I learned from an office boss. 

Last Friday Night in Cafe Lidia

Last Friday night, I was finally able to bring along ze office mates in my favorite Italian casual diner in Marikina -- Cafe Lidia. 

Nachos for appetizer -- 155Php. Although this was just the regular serving, we were able to share it. The bigger version of this, Nachos Grande, costs 285Php and is good for at 5-7 pax (if used as appetizer and not as main dish haha!).

Bag of Beans: A Weekend in Tagaytay

The weekend after our honeymoon in the Northern Philippines, the husband and I were out-of-towners again with our spiritual family this time. The gang celebrated Yam & Ghea's 25th birthday at the latter's Cavite residence which was a 5-minute drive from Tagaytay. Though a lot of things took place during this particular weekend, the best part might have been the afternoon spent in Bag of Beans, the photo blog of which you'll see below.

What I like most about leaving Manila is the green scenery that never fails to de-stress me.

A convenient way to transfer RDO and update status in BIR

One thing I didn't expect after getting married would be the hassle of updating all my legal documents -- SSS, Philhealth, & BIR, among others. If you are a guy, good for you because you only need to update your civil status. If you're a woman like me, these agencies also need to know your new name, not to mention your new signature, if any. Good thing the company where I'm currently connected with is able to handle updating which means I don't have to go to those government offices personally. It was all good when I realized that I have not yet transferred my RDO since my very first job (current is the 3rd) and this process is the one thing that employees are supposed to do on their own.

RDO stands for Revenue District Office. In BIR's official website, you'll learn about its functions and can even search for your own RDO (in case you forget). If you are suffering from self-diagnosed memory loss like me and couldn't remember your RDO at all, you can dial their customer service hotline 981-8888. Below are forms necessary for filing transfer of RDO and civil status update. You can either download them online or get them from your company representative handling government remittances.