Resurrections and Two-week Wedding Preps

So after more than a year of blogging silence…

Here is what’s up with me:
1.) I’ve spent the last 10 months here in Canada;
2.) Joel and I got married.

Here’s how it happened:

There was no romantic dinner, no serenade, no kneeling and no diamond ring. But there was the ‘we-cannot-do-this-long-distance-relationship-forever-so-let’s-get-married-so-you-can-move-here’ conversation. You may think it’s a marriage for convenience. But let me tell you, it was anything BUT convenient - the 2 hours standing up in line to check-in on the airline; the 15 hour flight; the two-week wedding plan. Yup, there wasn’t anything convenient about it at all. But it was hell of a lot of fun.

So this was how I organized my wedding in a little over 14 days:

Day 1 – Applied for our marriage license. We knew the right people so we got priority on the required seminars and we were able to complete the application process in a day – which may actually take 3 days to a week. Now we have to wait 10 business days for it to be released. There goes your 14 days.

Day 10 – Went and visited the Judge and set the date – although a month ago, we already informed her that we want her to officiate the wedding. Bought the wedding rings – depending on the supply, this step can actually take from 30 minutes to 3 months.

Day 11 – Informed and invited 4 (out of six) of our witnesses to attend the wedding - in four days. (It was the shortest wedding notice ever.) And I was informed that I’d need a wedding dress, a reception venue and a honeymoon venue. Shoot. I haven't thought about that.

Day 12 – Went to the beach and got a tan. (Now I think back, we should have gone to the beach after the wedding. I look so dark on the wedding pictures.) Oh. And booked a room for our honeymoon while on the way to the beach.


Day 13 – Met his grandparents and got a pedicure.

Day 14 – Claimed our marriage license. Drove an hour to go to the court to submit it. Made reservation for 20 people for the reception. Spent a mere two hours shopping for my wedding dress and shoes. And thanks to my wonderful witnesses: got a body scrub, a full-body massage, a sumptuous dinner, a Brazilian wax, chocolate body paint and edible panties. Also, informed our remaining 2 witness about the wedding the next day. (I correct myself. This was the shortest wedding notice.)

An hour before the wedding, while on our way to the court house: put on make-up and confirmed booking/reservation for both reception and honeymoon.

Looking back, it was a miracle we actually got through it. Really, this wedding would not have been possible without faith, family, friends and a lot of luck.

Solo Flight

This was my first time ever to fly alone. Naturally, i was scared.
So I took every precaution to make the flight bearable, if not comfortable.
First, I made it a point that my flight schedule did not involve 5 hours waiting time in any airport.
Second, I brought books, magazines and sudoku puzzles.
And third, I only have a handbag as my carry-on.

But no amount of precaution could prepare me for this trip.

The day before I left, my travel agent informed me that flight was moved.
I had to leave 5 hours earlier than scheduled.
This meant that I have to wait for 8 hours in Vancouver airport for my connecting flight.

When I got to Calgary Airport, I found out that I have excess baggage.
The lady at the check-in counter was nice enought to allow me to put away some of my stuff and carry it with me.
So now, I have my handbag and a relatively heavy paper bag.

But all that did not break my spirit. I have my books to keep me entertained.
And my carry-on isn't that much still. I just looked like I went shopping.



But I was sad. I was leaving my family and the city I've fallen in love with.
To keep my emotions intact, I went to the bathroom.
I planned to cry a little there - atleast no one would see me.
While I was inside the cubicle, and tears where ready to fall,
the lady in the next cubicle gave out a nasty fart.
It completely broke my 'emo' moment.
And I had to run out of the bathroom (just in case it's smell is as nasty as it sounded)

I had the most comfortable seat in the plane.
It was on an aisle seat just after the bathroom so I had plenty of legroom.
I love it!

When I arrived in Vancouver, I met a Filipina.
It was her first time in 10 years to go back to the Philippines.
2 minutes after that, we found out that our flight's delayed.
our wait will extend to 9 hours.

We couldn't sleep for the fear of losing our things.
And we couldn't find coffee coz it's midnight and everything is closed.
Good thing that the Twilight book is so entertaining. (yes... plugging...)

with my new friend Wenny

the flight to hongkong was the worst.
it was a 13 hour flight and i sat between a fat smelly caucasian guy
and a really tall asian guy who was blocking the aisle.
intense personal space violation. i barely slept.

The last leg of my trip, in fairness, was better.
Although I had to walk a mile in the hongkong airport (i went out in gate 72 and my connecting flight is at gate3)
I barely felt the wait. (2 hours max)
And i finished Twilight.
In the plane i had legroom again. Plus, the seat beside me was empty.

The flight to Manila was turbulent though.
I had to let out a scream once. Super humiliating!

Anyway, I got through the baggage claiming conveyor and through the immigration unscathe,
It was nice to hear everyone speak in tagalog. Astig!

Solving the Cube

So daddy brought home a rubix cube.
Feeling ko sa tiangge nya nabili yun eh.
Yung tig-forty pesos...
Anyway, na-challenge ako. So I tried it myself.
Pucha, ang hirap pala.

So since everything is 0n the net, I tried to look for tips.
Sabi kasi nila, once alam mo na kung pano, madali nalang.

There are other sites and tips but this one is the easiest to understand.

Tada! I did it!

O ikaw naman! :)