rAnDoM tHoUgHts + mUsIc

As I have been posting for several days now, I have been busy.  Not with work but with holiday activities, particularly here in the office.  So far, I've attended 3 parties (Project, Company-wide, Department parties).  I never imagined I would dance to the song "Just Got Lucky" in 3 different parties in 2 weeks!  But it felt good, coz this song fully reminds me of my *younger* days in the 80s.  I said "younger" because I'm young today, and I was "younger" then.  hee.

Not only have I been a "party animal" (eeew, that doesn't sound good) for the past weeks but I've been busy with anything and everything that has to do with the holidays:

** Downloading our Department Presentation videos, then uploading them to YouTube...

** Buying presents for "exchange gifts" between close friends here in the office

** helping guys here organize the get-together for their birthday blowouts (burp!)

** what else... uhm, updating my blog?

...And all of these I'm doing while doing my work as Project Checker at the same time... talk about multi-tasking, huh!  ok, gotta go back and work now... seriously!

Christmas is definitely in the air.  Not only is the breeze becoming colder by the hour but there is the unusual hustle and bustle only happening during the Christmas season.

Here alone in the office, everyone is busy in preparation for the Company Christmas Party.  We have the inter-department Group Dance Contest which every employee takes very seriously.  Our department, CSA (Civil-Structural-Architectural) is the defending champion so we're quite pressured to equalize, if not, surpass last year's record.  I didn't join the Dance group this year but I'm actively participating behind the scenes.

Party, party, party.  Last Monday we held the 50% Milestone slash Christmas Party for our Project.  This included all departments working on Saudi Kayan Project.  It was really a blast and I would say that this was one of the best parties I've ever attended.  There was an inter-department singing contest where my friend Khristine won second prize.  Yeah, the first prize winner from Piping Dept was good, but production wise, I think ours was the best!  Click here for the video.  Khristine not only sang but danced with 2 sexy back-up dancers, Armie May and Julie.  It really stirred some heat at Palms Country Club, heh-heh.  Right after the singing contest was dancing time.  There was a band who played 70s - 80s songs, straight, non-stop for 1 whole hour!  Needless to say, I stayed at the dance floor the whole time, singing and dancing -- as they say, dance as if nobody's looking, hah!

Check out some of our photos...

And here are some of the songs they played...

Let's Groove
Build Me Up Buttercup
Awitin Mo
Tayo'y Magsayawan
Bongga Ka 'Day

The only disappointment was that YMCA wasn't played... darn.

Last Monday's party was actually just an appetizer.  Tomorrow, Friday, is the big day.  It will be the Company-wide Christmas Party where the Dance Contest will take place.  The party will be at Manila Hotel -- big time, huh!  So, gotta go now, I still have to help the dancers with their costumes and accessories...and all of these I'm doing while pretending to be busy working haha!

Oh, didn't I tell you we'll be having a party again next week?  This time it's the CSA Department party... 

And there's also this exchange gifts exclusively for engineers of the "Houston Scope" part of Kayan project...

And the almost everyday lunch treat...

Lloyd and Petz' birthday celebration...

Ex-DCCD Employees Christmas Party/Reunion...

Now when do I rest???

Am I panicking or am I being simply indifferent?  Maybe I'm now panicking because I'm being indifferent to the whole situation.  See, it's just 18 days 'til Christmas and I haven't bought a single gift yet! 

Well, actually I bought one the other day and wrapped it this morning in time for tomorrow's gift giving as part of our company's charity program, "Bukid Kabataan".  Here, we give gifts to orphaned kids (they have a wish list, so we won't have a hard time thinking of what to give them) in time for Christmas.  The one assigned to me is an 11yr old boy who wished for a pair of rubber shoes. Rubber shoes are quite expensive, so I chose "World Balance" shoes, a local brand with good quality but still within my budget.  The gift giving will be tomorrow (we'll have a program at a park in Ayala Alabang) so there, at least I already gave something for Christmas this year.

But what about for the others??? Gaaaad!  I don't even have a list of whom to give gifts to.  I have to make a schedule first.  Let's see: Day 1, make list.  Day 2, compute budget.  Day 3-4, buy gifts.  Hey, maybe this will only take 4 days, so who's panicking now?  After all, as I've said...it's still 18 more days to go 'til Christmas... So maybe I'll start panicking on the 21st of December...

I wasn't able to post the whole weekend, so i'm making it up today...

As you'll notice, i tweaked the header photo above to suit the holiday season, thanks to Pauline, my daughter, for showing me how.  I also changed the background music to a christmassy song.  However, I didn't set it to play automatically coz it's kinda long and it might irritate the readers.  So if you want to listen to it, just click on the Play Button, and if you've had enough of it, just press Stop.  Easy huh.

I was so busy the whole 3-day weekend.  Last Thursday, my friend Miriam had her long overdue birthday celebration, wherelse but in a videoke club.  We kept on postponing the *bash* because of the weather and some office activities last week.  It almost didn't push through again because of some hotel siege brought about by some rebel military officers.  Hmp!  But everything was already planned, from the drinks, to the venue, to the invitees, to the food, that nothing and nobody could stop us.  Then at 7pm we were told that there would be a 12MN - 5AM curfew so we had to leave at around 10pm.  Ooooh... anyway, it was really fun!  Lots of music, dancing, food and drinks!  As in tequila mixed with margarita.  Beat that!  But we went home before 11pm, so technically, good girls naman kami.

some of the party animals...armie, miriam, adamae and misty...

Wala lang (Nothing, really)... my mood's quite low today...must be the weather...

The weather beau..beu..wait, i'll look up the spelling in google...

Ok, the weather BUREAU has been declaring/predicting, that typhoons (3, actually) will hit the city since last week.  And as expected, the media is having a frenzy over this news -- to the point of over reacting really.  As a result, our company Fun Run scheduled last Thursday was abruptly cancelled.  The kids' classes were suspended last Friday and today.  And what do we see outside?  Dark clouds.  As in no rain at all.  Alright, there's slight wind, but not strong enough to topple umbrellas while walking...but who needs umbrellas?  Anyway, it's a welcome treat, after all, the temperature has dramatically gotten low, from the usual summery heat and at least we're safe.

But man, these dark clouds make me real gloomy.

What a way to listen to this song, another OPM by my ex. (hey, i have the right to dream, you know).

OPM Christmas Song Classic by my ex.  (hee).

i'm so proud of myself.  last friday, i, together with friends kristine, armie may and her bf went to the famous 168mall in divisoria.   i said i'm so proud because i was brave enough to bring the van (it had to be big to make room for the goodies we're planning to buy) and drive through the sea of people along the road.

divisoria is the area where all the bargain stuff are found, and yes, where all the people swarm, specially during christmas season.  and in the philippines, christmas season starts as soon as the -ber months start.  so that puts november as the middle of the christmas season.   as expected, ANG DAMING TAO!  pero ang dami rin ON-SALE!  we didn't know which one to buy first because it seemed that everything was so cheap, compared to the malls.  anyway, even before going there, i've set my mind that i'll just buy something for the house, a nice christmas tree, to be exact.

in the end, i was able to buy a 7ft christmas tree, complete with all the decors, in pink/lavander motif -- it's so cuuute!  but i couldn't resist the other temptation -- i also bought throw pillowcases, checkered dark brown short-shorts (nice!), a pair of skinny jeans (sexy!) and a pair of sandals for andy (she loved them!).

we decided to go home at 4:30pm (we were there as early as 10am!), and the usual friday super heavy traffic took its toll.  i arrived home at 9pm, with a headache and aching arms and legs. 

nevertheless, i still think i haven't gotten enough of it... i haven't bought anything yet for christmas presents.... so definitely, i'll be baaack...

check out our new christmas tree (and throwpillows)!

and music here...