Oath Taking

2 pm ang schedule ng oath.

But we have to be there 2 hours before daw for registration.

Ano to airport?

But anyways, i was there at 12:30.

Sobrang init! Tas kelangan pumila ang guests sa arawan.

Buti nalang yung mommy ko may dalang payong.

Girl Scout talaga sya.

So we were waiting there outside.

Mejo nasigawan pa nga kami ng usher.

2pm na daw, so kelangan na pumasok.

Tama na ang picture.

Anyway, mabilis lang sya natapos.

May mga speeches tas singing of Supreme Court Hymn.

Yes. Meron pala nun. Ngayon ko lang nalaman.

Ang importante dun eh accepted na kami to be members of the Philippine Bar.

Nung tinanong nga if there's any objections, natahimik lahat eh.

Pero buti naman, wala na nag-object. Mejo lang ah.

Anyway, the order accepting us, is immediately executory.

Meaning. Wala nang bawian. Woohoo!

Around 3 or 4 tapos na yung ceremony.

Ang matagal is yung paghahanap ng parents.

Pinaiwan kasi yung cellphones and camera.

Pero grabe ha.

I was wearing high-heals and more than 4 hours na ko nakatayo.

Intense ang sakit ng paa ko.

Whenever I sit down, I get this nangimay feeling in my feet. Yung prickly feeling habang bumabalik ang dugo sa toes ko.

Tas kelangan ko pa maglakad ng 2 blocks papuntang Harbor Square kasi coding kami.

Iniisip ko palang, naiiyak na ko.

Pramis, onti nalang, my feet will bleed.

Buti nalang, my mom has driving sandals.

di na nga ko umabot hanggang car namin, pinakuha ko nalang kay daddy.

syempre, di masyadong bagay sa cute dress ko, pero I DON'T CARE.

Anyway, napagsabihan tuloy ako ni daddy about wearing those kind of shoes.

It's unsafe daw.

Hmmm... I never saw it that way.

Parang hinalintulad nya ang pagsuot ng high heels sa pagsakay sa motorsiklong walang helmet.

Pero may point sya.

Dahil paglabas ko ng PICC, gusto ko nang maghanap ng wheelchair.

Unsafe talaga sya.

First encounter with a potato

I woke up one morning and was really really hungry.
Kaso, ang breakfast namin ay sardinas.
Eversince my immersion with the mangyans in mindoro,
(where we had to eat sardines everyday for less than a week)
I swore never to eat sardines again.

I didn't actually swear.
I just feel like gagging whenever I smell it, let along taste it.

But since it has been years,
and the fact that I was really really hungry,
I considered eating it that morning.

Kaso sabi ni mommy, pwede daw ako magluto ng corned beef.
Ayos yon.
Lalagyan ko ng maraming patatas so I won't eat rice anymore.

So naghiwa ako ng patatas. Mejo nilakihan ko yung hiwa para mas masaya.
Tapos sabi ni mommy, lagyan ko ng onting water yung pan para maluto muna yung patatas.
(alam nya kasi na ang experience ko sa kusina involves fried hotdogs and lucky-me pancit canton)

Ok... done.
Nung magevaporate yung lahat ng water, mejo mabilis lang naman pala,
nilagay ko na yung corned beef.
Since mejo luto na yung corned beef from the can, mabilis nalang from there.

Ang saya ko.
Nahihilo na kasi ako sa gutom so super excited talaga ko kumain.

Until I chewed on a piece of potato.
Paksyet di pa luto.

Apparently, nung sinabi ni mommy na lagyan ng 'konting tubig,'
she had no idea on how big the potato slices are.
Dapat pala mejo above the potato ang dami ng tubig para maluto.
Shooot...

Moral lesson:
may rason kung bakit hindi magkasing laki ang patatas sa nilaga at ang patatas sa corned beef.

Getting our Visa

Our long wait is finally over.
Grabe, five years in the making yun.

It was the day before my mom's birthday and she was on her way to makati kasi mag-de-date sila ng dad ko.
Tumawag yung agent namin telling na dumating na yung visa.
So I had my sister text her the good news. Tas yun, dumeretso na sya sa agent.
Sabi ng tita ko who was with her when she received the text message, di daw makapaniwala si mommy.
mga 3 times pa daw pinabasa sa kanya yung message just to make sure she wasn't imagining it.

Anyway, super saya nya to the point na hindi na nga nya napansin yung surprise na hinanda ng mga friends nya for her.
Pagdating nya kasi, binuksan at ininspect na namin lahat yung mga passport with visa's and all the other documents.
After nalang nun nya napansin na may poster na nakadikit sa wall behind her with all the birthday greetings.

The next day, it was her birthday.
Nag-confirm na sya ng bookings.
Nag-pa-sched sa mga seminars na kelangan before leaving...
Tas the day after that, bumili na sya ng plane ticket.
Talk about excited!
hehe.

First Sunday of April

It was the First Sunday of April, my parents went to a Christian gathering.
Me, I went out to drink.

Actually, we didn't really plan on drinking.
Kaso, mas masarap ang kwentuhan pag nakainom na sina Mari at Paul.
So bumili si Paul ng drinks and chips, tas nag labas si Mari ng popcorn

From left to right: Mari, Shel, Siela and Sara

At the bottom: Red Horse, Microwave Popcorn, V-Cut Potato Chips, red ice tea.

the only thorn among the roses

We called tyns via YM. Bagong gising pa nga sya eh.
Haay… miss her na. Sarap nya kasi i-grill for chismis now-a-days eh.

After a while, Paul invited his friends Patrick and Joms (hope I got the spelling right) over.
We’ve known Patrick for years pero si Joms, nun ko lang nakita.

From left to right: Patrick, Joms and Paul

After ilang bote at ilang games pumasok si Mari sa loob to get something, leaving half a glass of beer.
Etong si Patrick, kinuha yung beer at nilipat sa baso nya.
We warned him. Told him na knowing Mari, kahit na she’s really drunk, she’d notice the beer gone.

Si Mari kasi, she knows her alcohol – what’s in it, and where it went.
Isa sa mga hobby nya eh mag mix ng drinks. As in kina-career nya talaga.
She’s my favorite bartender nga eh, kasi tama lang sa taste mo sya magtimpla. Kung trip mo mejo matapang, yun gagawin nya.
Eh ako, ayoko ng nalalasahan yung alcohol so pag ako yung iinom, lasang candy na.

Anyway, when she came out, the first words that came out of her mouth is: “o asan na yung beer ko?”
And we broke out in laughter. Syet dapat nakipagpustahan ako kay Patrick, baka kumita pa ko.

Well the night ended very well. I was kinda drunk and was laughing at the silliest things.

Sara: First time mo ba uminom since the results came out?
Siela: Yup. (giggles)
Shel: Ahh…

The morning after, I had tons of work and a queasy stomach.
Parusa yun for not going to church on a Sunday, let alone a first Sunday.
Oh my... plus chances of going to hell. hehe.

Destitute no more.

For the past three months I have been living in extreme poverty.
I swear, pag aalis ako, kelangan ko pang humingi sa mommy ko.
Super nakakahiya talaga.

Buti na nga lang, andyan si Joel. He pays for ALL of our dates. He even took me shopping last Christmas.
My sugar daddy. J

Anyway, a few days ago, I got paid!

Of course I had to wait for like a million years for it. May technical difficulties daw kasi. Sabi naman ni mommy, baka daw na-scam na ko. Syet. Wag naman sana. Promise, a little part of me ay natakot.
But then again, it wasn’t a scam. I got paid. It’s not much though, tas andami pang bawas for bank charges.

It’s barya if you compare it to the salary I can get in a law firm.
Pero naman, I don’t have to leave the house. I don’t have to pay for lunch or transpo.

Anyway, the point is, di na ko ma-guiguilty umalis. Coz I don’t have to ask my mommy for money anymore. YEHEY TALAGA!

Oh! The first time na I knew na I had money na, nag flash sa utak ko ang aking shopping list: bikini, shades, eyeliner, bag, wallet, flip-flops…

Whoa. Sa Shopping list ko palang, kulang na yun.

Breathe…

I reminded myself that I don’t need all these stuff.

Haay… swear… I have shopaholic tendencies.

Nathan's First

Mari, Paul, Sara and I went to Nathan's birthday yesterday (Sunday. March 30, 2007)

The Mommy and The Birthday boy. So cute!

From Left to Right: Sara, Paul, Mari, Gloria, Siela

getting into the party vibe.

Anyway, as any children's party syempre may games. And I have parlor games talaga. Suki kasi ako dun. For some strange reason, the host tends to pick me talaga pag turn na ng adults na mag-games.

And that day, I was sooo not in the mood for parlor games. Pag tinawag ako ng host, upakan ko talaga sya.

Buti nalang, si Glo, she warned the host. Sabi nya, wag na wag daw sila pagsasalitain sa harap. (Public speaking is obviously not her forte) So i took the chance. Sabi ko "Glo, sabihin mo rin wag kami tawagin sa games."

Sumunod naman yung host.So kids lang yung nag-games.

Anyway, yung isang game ng kids involves them removing their right shoe, walking towards the end of the room and walking back to search for their shoes.

Si Nicole, naka slip-on sandals. (which is very cute by the way) I can sense nag hesitate sya tanggalin. Tas nung pinag lakad na sila (barefoot na on the right) she didn't budge.

Tas umiyak.

My goodness. I totally understand how she felt. No way will I walk barefoot on McDonalds floor.

Nicole, pansinin mo na ko.

Wag ka na ma-bad trip. Okay lang yun.

mommy looking at Nicole from a distance

Yehey! After two thousand years, masaya na sya!

Towards the end of the party, sumayaw ang mascot. Don't know who he is. Kid Ronald daw...

Tapos namigay ng loot bag. Si Nicole was shy to get one herself so we asked Kuya Izac to get one for her. He tried naman kaso kelangan daw bumati ng Happy Birthday kay Nathan. So sasamahan nalang daw nya si Nicole.

Eh ayaw talaga.

So sabi ni Izac "Takot ka kay Mcdo?!!"

Natawa talaga kami. Kulang nalang sabihin nya 'Hello! okay ka lang?!'

All smiles si Kuya Izac.

Okay. Matt, ang laki mo na.

Bittersweet Victory

2007 Bar results came out yesterday.

556. GADRINAB, Fermin Nestor A.

557. GADUANG-ROJALES, Anita A.

558. GALA, Ana Siela M.

559. GALAURAN, John Michael S.

560. GALAY, Lani S.

(see complete list)

And this was from the Inquirer

Whoa. I made it.

Ancestry Facts

I went to clan reunion a couple of months ago.
Take note: CLAN REUNION.
Hindi lang ito simpleng family reunion. Clan reunion ito.
Meaning: mas marami kang hindi kilala.

We got there and whoa! Isang barangay ang nag-attend. No, not even. Its more like half of the people in the municipality went. Ibang level sa kadamihan.
At nag motorcade sila ha. As in. Ganon ka dami. Enough mag cause ng traffic sa national highway ng Quezon.

Anyway, what’s interesting are the giveaways. They gave out the blue print of the clan. As in it goes way-way back, mga 10 levels up my grandpa.
Grabe. This is my ancestry. Whoa.

So I discovered:

First, we came from the San Miguel clan pala.
But by some Spanish decree, “natives are prohibited to use the names of saints as their surname” San Miguel became de Gala.
Hamak na INDIO lang pala kami.

Second, the de Gala clan used to (not really sure if they still are) one of the prominent clans in the province. Ergo, the street named after them.
AND there was an exclusive room inside the venue which housed only the richest and elite in the clan. Syempre, kami nasa labas.
Indio na nga, commoner pa. Susmaryosep.

Third, I finally learned the real reason why Gala kami and not de Gala. There were two Marcelino (or it could have been Marcelo, I can’t remember for sure) de Gala in the clan. This caused confusion in the postal service. So because of lost mail matter, one of the Marcelo (or Marcelino) who happens to by my grandpa’s grandpa, took the ‘de’ out. So yun. Kaya kami, ‘Gala’ na lang. Which I think, sounds better.
Syempre, love your own.

Our little Embassy Adventure

Starring: Siela Gala, Eeza Ramos

Three years ago in Tagaytay:
Marl: Pare nagtampo nga si Pao nung isang araw eh.
Joel: Bakit naman?
Marl: Di daw namin sinama sa Embassy.
Siela: Bakit nyo kelangan pumunta sa Embassy?
And everyone within earshot broke into laughter.

Apparently then, Embassy was the newest gimmick spot.
And I was clueless.

ANYWAY, a couple of days ago, Monica invited me to her brother’s birthday party at Embassy.
Hmm… Why not? I haven’t been there still. (Surprise, surprise.)

So Eeza and I arrived at around 12 midnight. We texted Monica to meet us outside but no reply.
30 minutes, a million missed calls later, no Monica in sight and Nicky was still on her way.
Shoot, we might have to go inside on our own.

So we gathered our confidence and walked thru the velvet ropes.
We announced our names to the lady who looked at the guest list. Eeza got her stamp, but...

Receptionist #1 (to Siela): Miss wala ka sa guestlist.
Oh no... Syet pano yan?

Called Monica, no answer.
Syet, syet, syet. This is beginning to be embarrassing.

So I looked at my id and got a brilliant idea.

Siela (to Receptionists#1): Miss, Marasigan is not my last name, it’s Gala. Nakita ko kasi sa "M" ka naghahap kanina.
Receptionist#1: Ma’m importante kasi yung last name para malaman naming kung ikaw nga yung nasa guest list.
Siela:I know. Kaya nga, Gala is my last name so can you check again? Ang kulet ha.

Confusing kasi yung id ko. Buo yung middle name. Tas yung Gala nasa baba. (di na kasi kasya sa line) So siguro di nya nakita.

Eventually, she did find my name.

And now that we have our stamps, we got in.
Headed to the VIP lounge, Eeza got in and...

Big Bouncer (to Siela): “miss, di ka pwede dito”
what the F? Not anymore...

So Eeza went out, both of us baffled. We compared our stamps.
Sa kanya VIP, sakin tribal something. Kaya naman pala…
But aren’t we on the same guest list?

We decided to go back to the reception. Syet. Sooo kakahiya na ha.

Siela: Miss, can you check, we’re in the same guest list but we have different stamps. There must be a mistake.
Receptionist#2: (checked the list, got a stamped) ay sori miss ah. (stamped me VIP)

Good Lord! This must be punishment for going out on a holy Wednesday.

SO we finally got in the VIP Lounge. Hmm… Nice naman. But we can’t go past the crowd. Syet.
How on earth will we find Mon?
And my feet's killing me...

Rang Monica, no answer.
Shoot.

We find Nicky with a girl friend. After the introductions:
Nicky: O, where’s mon?
Eeza: can’t find her. Too many people.
Nicky’s friend: You guys want to transfer nalang? Mahal inom dito eh.

Everyone agreed. We head to Piedra.
There goes my first night at emba, I thought.
But I was just so RELIEVED to be out of there to even feel disappointed.

Minutes later, we find ourselves sitting comfortably on the couch, sipping our drinks, bobbing our heads with the music.
Haay… this is better.

We actually had fun that night, Eeza and I.
We met new friends. (Nicky’s friend, Nicky’s other friend, Nicky’s other other friend. Oh and Gino’s friend too. Don’t worry, at the end of the night, I did get to remember their names.)
I drank just enough to get tipsy.
And we danced ourselves silly.

Despite everything that happened earlier, the night turned out to ba a happy night indeed.

Oh! About Monica, she’s fine now. She just got a little drunk that night. Hihi.

Weekdays of March

so this is how it goes. every single day:

9am - breakfast while watching 10 year old cheesy cartoons at abs-cbn or Q-tv. I swear, I think abs believes that no one watch them during those hours. They just do whatever they want: repeat the same episode as yesterday, put a different show in the middle of the series... and feel that no one would notice. From Sarah, Cedie, Remi... walang natapos. So I switched to GMA. Doraemon. Kagaguhan in the morning. Sarap. (No, we do not have cable. We have something better: DSL and Utorrent.)

10-ish - mom finishes her daily e-mailing so it's my turn. will be working on orders

1030 to 11 - joel will be online so we will chat a little. lie-low muna on the orders. haven't perfected the art of multi-tasking yet.

1230 - game-ka-na-ba finishes so it's time for lunch.

2pm - work on orders again. joel would probably be in a meeting or will be working too, so I get more things done.

6pm - will either be finished or too tired to work. will chat with joel, shel or mon (depending on their availability) or will surf the net, or write blog entries such as this.

730 - dinner time.

after dinner - hate this time of the day. Faye's turn in the PC so I have NOTHING to do. I'd probably read, watch dvd... but definitely will not do anything useful. my responsible mode only lasts from 10 to 6. no overtime.

it's not much, i know. but i love it. extremely routinary with minimal if not inexistent pressure.