Happy New Year! And oh yeah, a belated Merry Christmas too.
Was wrapped up in a lot of stuff both at work and at home over the holidays that I didn't get to post online greetings. No Christmas greetings on my FB page and spent no pesos for SMS. Grinch and Scrooge mode on during December? Not particularly, just a bit hectic.
It was a busy December what with Ikai's first ballet recital, and of course the requisite trips to the malls, and going home to Laguna to spend Christmas Eve with my old folks. What was different though was where we celebrated New Year's Eve and met 2013 -- in the streets of Ayala Avenue.
No, we weren't one of the thousands hoping to become a millionaire with the City Government of Makati's pakulo of a New Year millionaire. The entire household trooped to Ayala Avenue for the promised 20-minute fireworks display coinciding with the New Year. We weren't even nearby the stage at the corner of Makati and Ayala Avenue. We situated ourselves in front of the Ayala Triangle Tower and from 11pm to about 12:30am and took pictures, chatted and joked while Ikai and Issa ran around. After the fireworks display, we headed back home for the media noche.
Meeting the NY at Ayala Avenue also allowed us to escape the chaos brought about by loud, noisy, and smoky firecrackers that were sure to have been ignited by our neighbors, especially one rather considerate kapitbahay who as early as hours before NY was already filling Fortuna Streets with mini-bombs. By the time we got home, the rather enthusiastic neighbors were still at it, flying kwitis and hand-throwing five-stars but they've done their worst already as evidenced by the litter fronting their apartment gate.
After the New Year dinner (or breakfast?), we decided to leave immediately for Laguna rather than sleep. I was still up and about anyway so we brought my sis-in-law, Daisy (she celebrated the NY with us) to her place in Pasig and made the trip-back to Makati to take the Skyway to Pacita. Man, paying no toll was quite the delight I tell you. You slow-down when you arrive at the toll gates and then there's nobody at the booth to get your toll fee is just sweet.
It's already the second week of January and it's back to work full swing already, folks.
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The two-day ballet recital of our dancing baby, Ikai, happened last December 15 and 16 at the Meralco Theater, and both days were quite successful. I also had a grand time photographing the recital on the first day (pictures were not allowed on the Sunday show). I also had the small digicam on video-mode to record Ikai's performances -- Little Mermaid and as a Little Rabbit in their ballet rendition of Alice in Wonderland -- as well as some of the other performances from the different ballets and danseurs of Dance Theatre Arts.
If you're an FB friend of mine, feel free to browse here the choice snaps I took. Of course, Elvie uploaded all photos of our little ballerina on her page.
Thanks to Paolo Santos (not the singer-guitarist) for the tips in shooting in low-light, no-flash situation and thanks for the special gift which made the photography work even more fun and manageable.
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2013 is the Big Move for us. And that'll happen this summer or early June, in time for Ikai to enter her elementary years, and for Issa to start her schooling. We'll just consume our advanced rent payments on the Makati apartment well into summer and by the time school starts this June, we'll be changing addresses to Laguna.
Before the move though, it would mean cataloguing the stuff that we need to bring to Laguna and what we need to dispose off already. As our house won't be up by June, we'll likely be renting first somewhere in either Biñan or San Pedro (the former being the more likely option as it is near where our permanent abode will be) and as such, there won't be or maybe little furnishing.
We are starting to think already of stuff that needs disposing but we'll be more serious about these things come March and well into April and May when we finally locate a temporary place. We'll likely be renting for at least a good 10 months or so in Laguna so we would also need to take care of cable TV, a landline (looking at a wireless option that'll be easy to move, of course), and internet connection. On the other end of the spectrum, it also means handling the necessary disconnection procedures for the cable TV, phone, and internet at the Makati apartment by June.
Exciting stuff!
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Dropped by Fully Booked - Greenbelt over lunch and salivated over four Wild Cards novels -- the latest releases from TOR including Inside Straight, Busted Flush, Suicide Kings, and Fort Freak. Now, when would it be possible for me to purchase all these (lest they disappear) as probably an early birthday present?
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Stay happy and healthy this year, folks!
