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Friday, August 26, 2011

Design Board for Ferry Port Terminal

This is the original proposal for the Ferry Fort Terminal for Seria. The reception lobby will be the focal point. I want it to look inviting and refreshing, after all the main reason why your are doing a renovation is to make it improve it, right? If not, so why the heck you will go through all that trouble. I will understand if they will tell me that the reason why they didn't like the design because of budget constraints, but please don't tell me that you don't like the design because its "too beautiful?" As ironic as it seems, I have to change the design to make it not look beautiful. It is so unnatural for a designer to design something that is not beautiful. That is the first and foremost goal in creating any design. In any design, an architect or any designer for that matter considers a lot of things, and a very big part of the design is aesthetics. So imagine, how shocked I am to hear that they don't like the design because it is beautiful?

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Dream Beach Wedding


It started yesterday. I received a message from him saying "I know now, I can see it... I know how our wedding will be", I was overwhelmed that he can actually visualized how our wedding will be. We already agreed to get married a few months ago, when we just got back together. Barely a few weeks from the "first" date we he already popped the question and without hesitation I answered yes. We knew, from that time that this time we want to be together forever. So fast forward to present, I am in Brunei and he is in the Philippines, its the 8th month since then we are still as in love as 10 years ago. As if long distance relationship is just so easy to manage. We didn't have doubts, even if we are apart. We know that this time we will be make it work. I knew that he loves me and still thinks of me, but I didn't know that he actually thinks of me everyday, every hour, every minute. I know this is too cheesy, believe me I myself can't believe that this is happening. Its like a dream come true. Last night, we continued to talk about it. He had it all figured out, he even has a music lined up. He already picked the song that will play as I walk down the aisle, the background music as we give our vows, even the song of our first dance as husband and wife. I am actually tearing up as he narrates how he imagines it to be. e even typed the lyrics to the songs which melt my heart even more.
i'll be just waiting for you...i'll be under your stars forever by starlight...i'll kiss you..and promise to be your one and only... i'll make you feel happy....
Now I understood, why we had to go through all that trouble, the chaos, the 7 years of not being together, because we are meant to experience this, the magical ending to our fairytale love story. Venue, theme, guest list, entourage, decor, time, date all set... and we only talked about it for 2 or 3 hours and we already have the whole wedding planned out. Isn't that amazing? So hopefully the problem with the documents will finally be finished so that we can be together and make this dream wedding a reality.

Friday, August 12, 2011

A Series of Unfortunate Events


The Reunion ended at 4am, and he has a 7am DFA appointment the following day.  So instead of going back home to his place which is all the way to the South, I suggested that he just spend the night in the nearby motel. He was hesitant at first; he doesn’t want to stay in that place alone. Hmmm, I know what all you are thinking, but no. I didn’t stay with him. I dropped him off to the motel and I drove home which is just 20 meters away.

So I went home and of course my mom was ready with all the nagging. So I just lay down and keep quiet, tried to go to sleep while my mom continued to nag me as if I am a 13 year old. I didn’t get to sleep at all, so at 5:30 am I stood up and took a shower and left. I will go with him to DFA and also to meet up with my friends from the previous job. Our meeting time is at 6 am. So I called his phone to wake him up so he can prepare also. But! His phone is off!! So I had to go to him and wake him up myself. Can you imagine, going to a motel asking if there is a guy who checked in at 4am alone? It  is so embarrassing!!! But I have to do it, if not, he will miss his DFA appointment and all the plans about him going to Brunei with me will be shattered. So I went there and ask the guard and the receptionist if there was a guy who checked in at 4am, please call his room and wake him up. Everybody was shocked; they said they cannot give me any info on who came in and with whom. I sounded like a wife trying to find his philandering husband haha.  They said a lot of couples checked in at that time, they cannot pin point which one is his room. I said, he is alone, that will narrow down your choices. How many customers check in alone in a motel, right? So I successfully convinced them that I just had to wake him up, because we have to go to a very important appointment. After 15 to 20 minutes of humiliating argument the receptionist agreed to call the room which they think he is in. So we found him!!! They called his room and woke him up.
I was scared that they will call the wrong room well, lucky he is the only one who checked in alone, and we we’re able to trace the correct room. He answered and in a few minutes he is down and we left.......... oopps it wasn’t that easy. He lost the room number and after a few more minutes of looking and arguing with the staff he eventually paid 300 for the lost room number. So we hurriedly left that awful place, disgusted, humiliated, tired, me without any sleep, him without a bath. So you can just imagine how bad our day is going. Now that I am thinking about it, I can already smile, but that was such a horrible experience. To continue, we took a cab, already 45 minutes late on our respective appointment.  In the cab, I checked the documents he brought for the dfa, he doesn’t have the most important of all the “appointment”. So, we kind of argue about it. I am really losing my cool at this point, but I tried my best to stay calm. We are already running late, and another unfortunate event  happened. There is a fun run in the area and the roads are closed, all the bad luck was thrown to us that day.  Since I had to meet up with my friends, and they have been waiting for an hour already. I get off the taxi and walked run going to the meeting place. I was walking faster than the participants of the fun run.  I met up with them for a few minutes while he wait at McDonalds, as I try to talk to somebody inside dfa to let him in, even without the appointment.  Good thing, my friends agreed for all of us to go to McDonalds instead while we try to mend the problem about the missing doc. I left and run again towards McDonalds. So when I got there, he was sitting so relaxed as if there is no problem and even asked if I have a pen. Pissed off, I went to the store next to McDonalds and bought a pen, handed it to him and rolled my eyes. So this is a nuclear bomb just about to explode any minute. That’s the time my friends got there and I hurriedly bought them breakfast, said a quick hi and told them I have to leave them again to accompany him at dfa. 

We got there, I got in first, tried to talk to them that the webpage malfunctioned that’s why we didn’t get to print the appointment, lame excuse right?  So they checked their system and he really didn’t have an appointment in their system. We are sure he has one, we received the email. I was the one that set that appointment. So with all these trouble, we went out dfa not getting what we went there for. To think I even flew in from Brunei just to make sure he gets this one done.

You think by this time the nuclear bomb that has been regaining strength every “malfunction” that we encounter will blew off? No, not really.  We are both calm and accepted that it wasn’t’ meant to be. So we walked back to McDonald’s, holding each others hands and had breakfast with my friends and continued our day as if nothing bad happened. We are both smiling and he is still very sweet to me, as if we did not argue at all. After breakfast, we said goodbye to my friends and we took a cab going to the PTA meeting that is set for that morning. So that was my morning, no sleep, a lot of arguments, a lot of misfortunes, but we still manage to smile and hold each others hands and look at each other the same magic in our eyes, the same as the night before.

He has to go to work, and I have to go to the PTA meeting, and we are already at least an hour late but we still cannot seem to let go. We passed by a convenience store and bought some drinks. We practically spent, 16hours together and we still cant seem to let each other go. I convinced him to go to work and  he finally dropped me off the school, and didn’t leave my side unless I promised to see him again later that night.

Cramming Again!

Work has been awfully busy this days, I have been attending to customers all day long. Since Ramadan started, the sales people who should be attending to the walk-in-customers has almost become non-existent. Understandably because they need to preserve their energy since they don't eat nor drink all day long. So every time a customer comes in I automatically stands up and assist them while choosing their tiles. my job description as an "designer" is to design. So most of the time I am glued to my laptop as I finish a design board for a proposal, but occasionally, I am also expected to become a "sales lady", or even a "kargador" if needed. It has been very busy at the shop and the real sales ladies are always gone. So in the past week, it has been a very busy day for me. The Interior design that I am working on that should have been finished a week ago is still on going. I can barely have a 5 minute rest, or even sit on my chair the whole day. Its as if I am a crew in a fastfood chain, running from one location to the next. So here I am, cramming to finish the proposal for tomorrow 10 am meeting. I don't think I will be able to sleep at all tonight, and I stayed up late all week nights because daddy always wants to chat and see me. Whew! So got to go, and continue my work. I will be leaving you with the Living room Design board, still have to do 10 more rooms.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Prom at 30

Day 1 part 2 The 2 person that I’d like to see would be little J and daddy. So I already saw little J, its time to see daddy. That afternoon, after all the shopping, I was with little J and mama when he called. First thing he asked me was, “what are you wearing?” haha. Don’t think of any sleazy thoughts, he asked me if I am dressed appropriately because we will go to Sofitel hotel. So I was shocked, Sofitel? Why what for? Then he just told me to dress up nicely and he will meet me later. So, I went home took a shower and dressed up. Still doesn’t know what he is up to. I am thinking maybe he arranged a nice dinner date since that was one of his dreams to bring me to a nice romantic dinner, something special and fancy. I didn’t have anything to wear; I figured I don’t really have to dress up if it will be just the 2 of us. So I just wore jeans, a nice blouse and black pumps. Put on a little make up and I am all set to meet him. I don’t want him to think I put too much effort haha. Ok, so here it is. I figured I’ll just bring the car and pick him up from the office. It will be easier for me to go home after, since he cannot bring me home after. You see, up to this point because of the entire hullabaloo that happened some 7 years ago, he still cannot go to my place. So our whirlwind love story on its 10th year now is still on a ”you and me against the world” status. So I went there nervously waiting in the car, anticipating how he looks like or what is his reaction when he see me. I am expecting a bit more enthusiasm, since he practically begged me to go home to see me. Saying
“umuwe ka na please baka mapariwara ako pag hindi ka pa umuwe”.
So when he went in, I just drove and then looked at him. Well he was right, about the “mapariwara” he look terrible. As if he didn’t take care of himself while I was gone. His hair is not trimmed, he lost some weight and I can see in his eyes how terrible he has been since I left. He wasn’t lying when he said he is not ok, its as if he stopped living when I left. I left him looking like a “movie star” (of course I am exaggerating) then I came back 3 months after he now looks like a construction worker, no pun intended. So I asked him, what happened to you? He just smiled and said I miss you. Then he offered to drive, so we exchange places. He just kept on staring at me the same way I stare at him. Traffic jam all over it took us a long time to get to Sofitel. So we just sat there side by side, talking about the things that happened when we are not together, as if we didn’t know. We are talking everyday even when I was in Brunei so we still knew what was happening with each other. We drive past the places we went to and talked all about the memories; we were apart for 3 months and it fells as if it was already years. That’s also when I learned why we are going to Sofitel, we are going to attend his high school reunion. I panicked, I should have worn something nicer, I should have put on a little bit more make up. I should have worn jewelries. I panicked, and these guys are well off, from the “rich and famous”. I’m scared I will not fit in. I’ve known him for 13 years but I didn’t get to hang out with his “rich” friends before. Ok, once but that was years ago, I don’t even know if they still remember me. So we got there, I first met his best friend “P”, I met him years ago. So I am still calm that still went fine. I was right, I am under dressed. They are all wearing beautiful dresses, all made up. I felt like a 15 year old attending a junior prom, scared to death if I was wearing the right dress or the right make up. I'm so nervous, but he held my hand. He looked at me as if I am the most beautiful girl that night. So I was ok, we waited in line to register and “P” kept as company, we are chatting like he know so much about me, like an old friend. Then we went in and there are more “socialista” inside, I tried to put the most relaxed face on. He introduced me to everyone, and they smiled and a bit shocked to see me. After all these years this is the only time they met a girlfriend. A lot of them came without a date; there are just a few “couples” that attended. Then I met the other best friend “J”, unlike “P” I never met him, but to my surprise he knew me. He asked me when I came back from Brunei, he knew who I am and probably knows about our 10 yr romance. He is so accommodating, in fact everybody is. They are all so nice to me and they are looking at him as if saying “checkmate”. This is the girl that will actually tame you down; some even gave me a salute. Saying how amazed they are that this guy finally settled down. We are not yet married!!! But I guess, they know, just like how we know that this time it will be forever. So we chat, laugh, dance the night away, enjoying the company of his friends but most importantly enjoying each other’s company. It was just like prom, it was a magical night. We talked and laugh and held each other as if we are teenagers, enjoying the first dance together.