My Best Friends' Wedding

No, this is not about Julia Roberts’s hit movie. This is about Eric and Gladys saying they do.

On 24 April 2010, my best friends Gladys and Eric tied the knot at the picturesque Magallanes Church, visible along South Superhighway. Reception was at Blue Leaf in The Fort.

Crazy Me
I was not privy to how the church and venue were chosen. I actually learned bits and snatches about their wedding preparation through Flickr, through photos Eric had posted.

There was a time I seriously thought I would not be invited to the wedding. I also knew I’ve blown my chance to be the maid of honor.

You see, I had been a difficult person starting 2008, when my mother died. I mean, I’m okay most days, not much topak than usual, but when she died, I seemed to have morphed into a monster. I would raise hell on the slightest provocation, sometimes, even without provocation, and without regard for people’s feelings. I waged war with whoever was on the warpath; close relationships were the casualties. Gladys, being my closest girl friend, probably suffered more of these kabaliwan than most.

I fought with her, hurled accusations her way, threw one hurtful word after another. On lucid intervals, I would apologize, only to repeat the pattern the next day. We would not talk for days, and when we did, I would find something bad to say again. There came a point that she was afraid of replying to my text messages for fear that I would become angry again.

Eric to the rescue
For the love of Gladys, Eric told me to just text him whenever I feel like making-kulit or making-away because Gladys has had enough of my crazies and so that we won’t fight anymore. One time, he also asked if I wanted to drown my sorrows in alcohol because Gladys cannot be in Quezon City at that time. I would text him late at night or in the wee hours of the morning about mga kaweirduhan. And he didn’t complain, or at least, not to me, haha!

Seriously, these two rescued me from the hell I was digging for myself. It’s a good thing they asked me not to tell stories about them, because then, I would have told everyone how theirs is a love that they did not keep to themselves but one that they shared to others, to me. That I am eternally grateful for the love they have given me, especially during the time I did not deserve anyone’s love. And how, some days, when I’m with them in their CRV, I would rehearse my speech, and how I would become teary-eyed knowing I’m with two people I love, I’m with my family. But then I would have made the speech about me, and that would not have been a good thing.



And so I look at my souvenir photo with Gladys and Eric, and I feel happy, blessed, thankful that after all that they have been through, they are still together. And I know that their love is stronger than any storm, any problem, anything that will come their way.

So here’s to Eric and Gladys – raise your glasses, folks – and here’s to love. ###

Free fall

It is quite funny, when you think about it.

But when it happened, I am telling you, it was not.

One second I was singing “…now I’m falling asleep and she’s calling a cab while he’s having a smoke and she’s taking a drag…”, the next thing I know, I was falling down the stairs. I haven’t fallen in a really really long time, because falling down the stairs was what happened when we were much younger and we still have our old wooden stairs in the house. That was, like, eons ago.

And there I was, falling freely, flat on my butt, my hips hitting the step. I must have fallen, what, three, four steps? And then I felt like cold water was poured on me and I cannot really open my eyes. I walked to the van and just sat there and closed my eyes. I cannot speak. I felt cold all over. It was freaking hot in the afternoon, and I felt the urge, first, to shiver, then, to vomit. I was thinking, did I slip? Were my slippers slippery? Did I black-out? But I do remember I was singing, and then I was flying. Mader was asking where it hurts but I cannot speak because it seems that my whole system was in shock. They got scared, too, that I was so pale after. After a while, I felt blood running through my blood vessels again and I began to sweat profusely. Then I checked if I still know who I was and I am there and who are the people around me.

Ako pa naman na sabi ng Tita ko eh malakas lang ng konti sa tikling.

So I say, good luck tomorrow. Sana makabangon ako. ###

Cram

I have ambivalent feelings about my last day in Thailand. This was our third day, and we still have a lot to do. Kasi naman yung mga Red Shirt members eh. Of all days naman kasi.

Since it is my first time in Bangkok, they decided that I need to see some temples. We rode a boat to the Grand Palace.





We saw the Reclining Buddha and the Grand Palace. Entrance to the Palace costs 350 baht. A Thai police spoke to me in Thai, and when I did not respond, he asked, this time in halting English, “Where are you from?” I said I am from the Philippines, and he exclaimed, “Oh, I thought you were Thai, it is free for Thai.” I told my companion, uy free daw for Thai. Akala niya Thai ako. So she got my camera and instructed me to use the entrance for Thai, haha. I bowed a little and covered my head with my pashmina. The police officer on the other end let me pass through. Taghirap eh. Sayang din yung 350 baht, bakit ba. :D




Actually, I did not know whether to take photos of myself in temples, so it would look like I am in Thailand, or if I would take photos of details, so many of them, or of people, or whether to shop. Ngarag! And we haven't been to Chatuchak yet!###

Walking the City, Thai style

We were still suffering from jet lag, what with the one hour difference between Manila time and Bangkok time. (Shempre char lang na may jet lag.)

When we first arrived at the hotel, we were laughing at its location. Alvin's press release was that it was in an up-and-coming neighborhood near the market, we didn't realize he meant market literally, as in wet market.


We were already up by 8 in the morning. We partook of the complimentary buffet breakfast. In fairness! Ang sarap! we overloaded on their croissant. Then after contributing to the cause of the Red Shirt Movement (hahaha!), we headed out. We did not know the extent of the day's rallies so we decided to avoid major roads and tourist destinations. We enjoyed a very long lunch at a restaurant that I forgot to take note of because I was so hungry, but we had a hearty feast of authentic Thai food.

We had coffee at Au Bon Pain where Elaine lost her sim card. We just lounged around - they were not up to doing anything "touristy" - so I had to make do with walking a few blocks away from the coffee shop and back, while thinking all the while eh ginagawa ko naman to sa Maynila ah!

While waiting for them to have their massages finished, I walked a bit more.