My AMOR and AMORITO

Cloyd and CJ

 

Father’s Day

It’s daddy’s day this coming Sunday and since the aH1N1 (swine flu) scare is still in town, we’re doing our celebration within the confines of our home. It’ll just be a simple get together. Nothing really grand in a sense but the thought of just being together as a family, it enlivens me. We’ll all be in Papa and Mama’s place at Pilar. Lolo is there and my brother’s family will be arriving! Haven’t seen my nephews for a month already and when they last called, they said they are excited to see CJ soon! Come to think, they’re all boys pala! It’s actually a “riot” when you see the boys playing and running all over the place! Hay naku, superrrrrrr “gulo”!

Anyway, this is to say thank you to Papa for having been a very good father to me. Thank you for providing well and for always making me feel beautiful, loved and good all the time, from the day I was born and to this day! I will always be your little darling angel on your shoulder. I love you!

Jijan Bro, it’s nice to see that you turned out to be a more responsible man that I thought you would be. You make me proud sistah! Keep it up so that your kids may mimic the good man that you are! Just do us a favor, stop the smoking.

And to my dear great love of my life, I’ve always been a proud wife knowing that I have found my better-half, my Mr. Right and my BFF (best friend forever)! But I’m prouder now, because you turned out to be the wonderful and loving daddy to our son, CJ. Thank you for being a good-worthy father to CJ! I love you very much!

 

Cruise Experience

  

Charity & Cloyd, cruising!

Early this year, my husband and I were able to experience cruising via Star Virgo, an Asian world-class luxury cruise ship for almost a week. It was a dream that had to wait for four long years since we got married.  As everyone may know, it’s an expensive way of traveling although very unique, exciting and different.  We had to reserve months in advance so we could get early bird discounts.  Believe me, it’s worth it.  I got our package at almost 40% discount.  Good thing, I had a very dependable travel agent.  Thanks to her for concerting all efforts just to put us on the go at the dates that we wanted.    (Leave me a note should you want to get in touch with her.)  We had to reserve the dates where my birthday and our wedding anniversary would exactly fall.

 Anyway, we only got an inside stateroom.  Getting a room with an ocean view and a balcony was way too much.  Our budget might just go ballistic although it could really have been better if we got the rooms with a view.  J  But what’s important was we have a place to retreat when we’re exhausted getting nomadic in the ship.  Another important thing, which I made sure, was the food.  All meals were included and served on board.  The food was just overflowing at Star Virgo.  They have a great selection of restaurants.  They have Japanese, Chinese and Indian restaurants.  Their Mediterranean buffet was superb.  They have an exceptional variety of meals to choose from.  My husband was particularly happy with the overflow of summer fruits like watermelon, honey dew and pineapples.  We never really got hungry.  We even really had to schedule our meals in a way that each meal doesn’t overlap with the next meal.   My favorite was one time when they served dinner near the pool.  It’s like a barbeque party for everyone in the ship and it was a happy site.  They also have this gala night where ship guests are given a chance to take pictures and talk to the captain of the ship and its crew.  Of course, it meant getting dressed up for the gala moment.  It was another noteworthy moment.

The ship’s crew/s were also very gracious and courteous.  We really felt at home.  Take into account that almost 50% of the crew population were Filipinos.  Front liners and receptionists were mostly Filipino.  Luckily, our cabin attendant was a Filipino too.  We were really pampered to the max and I could really say that cruisin’ through the Pacific Ocean was such a breeze! Aside from the endless eating we did on board, there were other fun-filled activities in the ship.  They have the Parthenon pool and four Jacuzzis where you could take a dip.  They have a gym wherein most of the trainers are Filipinos. At the ship’s roof deck, they have the basketball hoops, mini golf area, the tread wall and the disco area when you feel like dancing and grooving at night.  They also have the Lido, where nightly shows are being held.  It’s like a big theater.  On our second night on the ship, the crew did a beautiful musical presentation.  We also had a chance to play Bingo.  Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on our side.  We didn’t win anything, not even a consolation prize.   The countries visited by our cruise were Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.  There were shore excursions offered for the areas of Penang, Port Klang/Kuala Lumpur and Malacca at Malaysia; and Phuket in Thailand.  Phuket was the place I enjoyed the most.  It’s like Boracay but Phuket was more crowded mostly white foreigners.  We also saw the place hit by the 2005 tsunami.  It’s amazing though how fast the place was easily brought to life after the catastrophe.  At Kuala Lumpur, we just saw the Petronas Twin Towers and that’s it.  Well, that would depend I guess on the excursion you’re getting.  Of course, we were on a budget.  I’d like to think that we’d just travel to KL again some other time to really travel around the place. Overall, our cruise experience went astonishingly well.  It actually exceeded our expectations.

Now that I’ve got the feel of if, we just might try a Caribbean or a Mediterranean cruise next time. God willing.  J

 

Mr. Right

When I was a child, I have always dreamt of having a very blissful love life, that is, the fairytale type of having a “happily ever after” ending.  I have always wished for my prince charming to be the typical “tall, dark and handsome” guy.  As years went by and as I matured, more essential criteria were added to the list.  I didn’t end up being too picky but I did ended up being prudent in choosing the man I would enter a relationship with.  Finding him was no easy task and actually finding him was the most futile endeavor I ever did.  It ended with one of my best friends telling me that I should not be finding him.  He should be finding me.  Good thing, I listened and I was indeed blessed with a man who complements me in so many ways.  I am quiet, he’s chatty.  I am serious, he makes me laugh.  Well, he is not exactly “tall, dark and handsome” as I have openly wished.  He’s tall and handsome, o yeah! But definitely not dark, because he’s a lot more fair complexioned than me.  And more importantly, he had the qualities of a man I had secretly wished for: responsible, affectionate, practical and never pretentious, although at times conceited (‘coz he has something to be proud of in the first place).

I have Cloyd, my Mr. Right.