Welcome Back, Anna! :)

I haven't blogged for almost a year now! But if there is one thing that is truly worth sharing with you is that by next month, my husband and I will be holding our little princess in our arms! I am currently eight months pregnant and is so eagerly waiting for the d-day! For the last eight months, I have been caressing and talking to my tummy, even imagining my baby talking back to me, too! My journey to motherhood was not all smooth-sailing, but it was all worth the pain and the discomfort. From the kicks and sommersaults that I would feel and my quest to getting the right and comfortable posiition to sleep every night, I did not notice that it's already the 35th week! I've been reading articles in the internet regarding pregnancy and how to care for the baby when she comes. Call me excited, haha!

Away...

I am the most positive person you'll ever meet, I swear.

But ever since I arrived in a place away from home, I felt like everything just turned upside down. Now I truly understand how working away from your comfort zone feels.

But please don't get me wrong. From the bottom of my heart, I am honestly grateful for this one of a kind blessing. If not for this secondment opportunity, Australia may never be part of the list of the places where I have been.

I'm here for four and a half months. I flew out of the country just a week after I got married. No honeymoons and wife duties yet.

On my first day at work, it felt the same as working back home, only that I don't speak Tagalog. It was hard for me at first to express my thoughts because everybody here speaks English really good! (Of course!) And I was eaten up by how they show confidence in everything that they do. That confidence that would want to tell you that "hey, I'm really good at this." But I don't want to comment further. :D

So is it really like this to be working with people of other culture, of other race, of other color? I talked to my other office mates who are currently in Houston to share how I feel. And unsurprisingly, we all feel the same.

But now that I'm writing this, I realize that what makes this really hard for me is that everyday after office, I would go home and see no one there. Yes, I am alone. My husband is miles away from me. I kiss my mom and my sisters through Skype. At least I was sent here when technology is up and it makes homesickness a little less felt.

Now I wonder, maybe this is really what I wanted. Because I never asked for this. But then my ever loving God brought me here. It is in the thought that He knows the true desires of my heart that I get peace of mind. Whatever experiences and feelings that I have while I am here are part of my preparations for a grand blessing which I am about to receive. I have to constantly remind myself that I am being prepared for something really BIG! And all the things which make me feel sad, alone and super stressed here are blessings in disguise.

I still have 86 days to do honor Him and the name that my parents gave me. And day by day, the things He prepared especially for me will reveal one by one. At the end of it all, I will always be thankful and grateful for everything, and I mean everything, that God allowed me to experience while I am here. :)

Ang Aking Liham Para Kay Kupido :)

Alam kong natutulilig na ang tenga mo sa kabi-kabilang kahilingang natatanggap mo para panain ang puso ng sinisinta ng sandamakmak na mga tao. Pero bakit ako? Hindi ko naman tinawag ang pangalan mo. Ni hindi ko inisip na humiling sa yo kahit sa panaginip man lang. Hindi ako humarap sa salamin ng alas dose ng hatinggabi para manalangin na ipakita ang taong nakalaan para sa akin. Pero isang araw habang nagkakape ako e bigla mo na lang akong kinalabit sabay sipat sa dibdib ko. At yun na. Dun na nagsimula ang lahat.

Akala ko dati, masyadong makamandag ang pana mo. Yung tipong pag tinamaan ka e malulunod ka na sa kakaibang sensasyong dala ng pag-ibig. E bakit sa akin mild lang ung formula ng nilagay mong solution sa dulo ng pana mo? Ni hindi ko nga naramdaman na nasa paligid ko lang pala ang taong makakatuluyan ko. As in literal na nasa paligid ko, kasama kong nagkakape. Kung binigyan mo lang ako ng warning e di sana sinuklay ko muna ung bangs ko. O kaya nag-excuse muna ako, nagpunta sa wash room at naglagay ng konting papula sa pisngi para hindi obvious ang pagbblush ko. Panay pa naman ang tingin nya sa relo nya, pakiramdam ko e boring akong kasama. Sana e nagpractice man lang ako magjoke para walang mga "dead air" moments nung bigla kaming iniwan ng kaibigan namin. Pero bakit ko pa pinaparating to sa yo e tapos naman na un, at wala na akong magagawa kasi nanuot na sa mga ugat ko ung mild formula mo.

Pero naman! Di mo sinabi na may immediate and long lasting effect ung mixture na un, as in panghabambuhay. Naging bahagi na sya ng sistema ko at di ko na sya mabura sa utak ko. Buti na lang at hindi sya nauntog habang binubuo namin ung kalsadang dadaanan namin nang magkatuwang. Di naglaon ay niiyaya nya akong magpakasal.

Ano ba ang saysay ng sulat na to e masaya naman na ako sa buhay pag-ibig ko? Wala naman. Ang totoo nyan, gusto lang talaga kita pasalamatan. Dahil siguro sa dami ng nagmamakaawa sa yo, pinili mong mag unwind muna at tumigil sa Starbucks nung araw na un. Tapos nakita mo kami. At alam mong kami ang nakatadhana para sa isa't isa kaya di ka na nagpatumpik tumpik pa. At noon din ay sabay mo kaming pinana habang ginugulo ng hangin ang aking buhok at humihigop ako ng mainit na kape. :)

My Unknown Dream Comes True :)

A girl can only dream of a Prince Charming when she was still little. As she grows up, she is realizing that Prince Charming can only be found in fairy tales. She realizes that in the real world, that one true love she's been dreaming of is that one person who has only 10 out of the 900 qualities of the guy she wants to be with.

As a young girl, I was focused in maintaining high grades in school and helping my mom in her small business. Dreaming of a Prince Charming seemed to have no space in my life. Or maybe because I had the idea that high school should be the most enjoyed time of one's life, and I would not enjoy it as much if my mind is occupied with thinking of how to make a special someone happy.

Then time flew so fast, a lot of things happened and I managed to become a professional. That was the time that I prayed to Papa God diligently everyday so He would give me my Prince Charming. I know I am a grown up, but for me it was not too late to dream of what little girls would dream of - to live in a grand castle with her own King. Translate it to a real world's language: I wanted to meet the person whom I would share my whole life with.

This dream came true in the morning of 8 January 2012. Finally, I married the most unexpected person, the one that I've never seen myself going out with even in my rarest dreams. Don't take it negatively, it was because we had our own separate lives that we never even saw each other for the longest time.

But fate has its own way of letting people realize that sometimes, the dreams that come true are the ones that you never knew you had. And on one beautiful Sunday morning, it was my turn to believe that. I can never thank our Good Lord enough.

Malapit na malapit na! :)

Wasted Time, Really?

I believe that once in our lives, we spent some time on something we thought were significant to us, something we thought would last, only to realize in the end that it was something we didn't want to ever happen; something that we'd tell ourselves that we would never even think of in our next lives. Those times that you'd realize that you should have done this instead of that; times when you should have trusted yourself instead of other people. There is this feeling of regret and guilt that you knew you wouldn't experience if only you've thought the other way around. More often than not, we call these moments our wasted time.

Time, as it has always been told, is free, yet priceless. You don't need to pay a single centavo to have it, but you also couldn't use all the riches in the world just to have more of it. When your time ends, it just ends. And so as the cliche goes, spend your time wisely. :)

Why did I suddenly think of this? Well, being an Eagles fan (I don't know if I can call myself a fan, but I really love their songs), I included in my playlist their song called "Wasted Time." It's about how a girl, fearing the near end of its relationship, thought that she had just wasted the time she spent with the boy. There is this part of the lyrics that struck me, though I couldn't understand it fully: "Sometimes to keep it together, you got to leave them alone." Come to think of it, that makes sense, right?

My take on this is that whenever you do something, you had the choice whether to do it or not. So there should never be any moment in your life that you'd regret. If you feel that you just made a not so good decision, then I believe that you should just take it as a lesson. I strongly believe that everything happens for a reason. Whether to teach you something or to make you feel good, you should embrace and accept them with all your heart. You'll never know why things happen until the reason happens. Trust your instincts. Trust your guts. Most of all, Trust Him, because He'll never leave you behind. :)

Here Comes Christmas.... and then... !!!!

Christmas is here once again!!! Normally, I would anticipate this occasion because it means I could take some time off from work. But this year is extra special... this would be the last Christmas that I would write my name as Anna Loraine C. Go. When the new year starts, everything will change, and so will my name!

To My Tita Ninang... I will miss you forever.. :(

And just like that, you left us without giving a warning. I thought I'd see you on my special day, pressuring me to have kids right away. I thought I'd see you wear your red gown suited for that special occasion of mine. I thought you'd still be there greeting all of us Merry Christmas while asking if you lose weight. But I thought wrong.


My mom and Tita Ninang


I am sad and happy. Sad that you left us this early. Happy that you wouldn't have to suffer more pain. You'll always be my Tita Ninang. You'll always be in my heart. I love you... and I will miss you forever.

Celebrating Good Times!

October is a happy month for our family because it's my mom and my sister's birth month. We celebrated Mama's 47th and Joy's 24th birthdays last Sunday at three different places, Dalampasigan Restaurant, Chowking Nasugbu and Taal Vista Hotel.





The visit to Taal Vista was not really part of our plan, but their representative called that morning to tell us that we have a scheduled food tasting! So we headed to Taal Vista and continued celebrating! I hope we'll have a lot more celebrations like this!

Happy birthday Mama and Joy! I love you so so much! :)

Mon and Mimi Tie the Knot!

Just last September 10, 2011, my sister and her boyfriend for four years finally said "I do" to each other. It was such a crying moment for my family as the blushing bride walked down the aisle. It was as if everything around us is a scenery of happiness, especially when Mon and Mimi said their vows. Here is the SDE of their most anticipated wedding:




Although I hate one part of this video, (you'd see me yawning, grrrr!) I still want to share this because it is one phase of life that you will always treasure forever. One day, I'll post my wedding video... that would be SOON... :)

Today, I just felt the urge to say to the whole world how I am really loving Rascal Flatts!




This American country rock band has three members: Gary LeVox (lead vocals), Jay DeMarcus (bass guitar, keyboard, piano, vocals) and Joe Don Rooney (lead guitar, vocals). A lot of people here are not familiar with them, since country songs are not that popular here (or was it just not popular to my circle of friends?). Whenever I tell them one song I love, they'd say that they don't know the song, nor the singer. But I just love them so much! There was a time that I kept playing only their songs for one whole month! Here are my top favorite songs sang by Rascal Flatts:

"The Day Before You"

I had all but given up on finding
The one that I could fall into
On the day before you
I was ready to settle for
Less than love and not much more
There was no such thing as a dream come true
Oh, but that was all the day before you

Now you're here and everything's changing
Suddenly life means so much
I can't wait to wake up tomorrow
And find out this promise is true
I will never have to go back to
The day before you

In your eyes I see forever
Makes me wish that my life never knew
The day before you

Oh, but Heaven knows those years without you
Were shaping my heart for the that day I found you
If you're the reason for all that I've been through
Then I'm thankful for the day before you

Now you're here and everything's changing
Suddenly life means so much
I can't wait to wake up tomorrow
And find out this promise is true
I will never have to go back to
The day before you

Was the last day that I ever needed alone
And I'm never going back
No I'm never going back

Now you're here and everything's changing
Suddenly life means so much
I can't wait to wake up tomorrow
And find out this promise is true
No I'm never going back
I will never have to go back to
The day before you


This song is actually my song for my fiance Chris. :)



Here is another song I love love love:

"My Wish"

I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

But more than anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
And you always give more than you take.

But more than anything, yeah, and more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

This is my wish
I hope you know somebody loves you
May all your dreams stay big



I hope you'll find time listening to their songs. They really are great, and if ever they will visit the Philippines, I would really be thrilled to be at the front seat. :)

Congratulations Bro and Ella!

Just last Saturday, my best friend Arvie has finally bid good bye to his bachelor and happy-go-lucky life as he promised to take Ella as her lawfully wedded wife. I know that both of them have been waiting all their lives for that very special day. Ella was so pretty and so blooming and Arvie was so gwapo din (thanks to the foundation and lip balm, hehehe!) Although I was not able to take a picture of the groom and bride, I had pictures of my fiance and my other classmates who attended the wedding:










Watching how teary-eyed my Bro was during the wedding made me more excited on my upcoming wedding! I could imagine how the reception would go, and how much tears Pepper and I would cry on that very special day. :)

I wish Arvie and Ella a wonderful married life. There will be tough times for them but I'm sure that the depth of their love for each other will conquer everything. I love you both! :)

This is it!

So this is it. My first ever blog write up for 2011. (It's never too late, you know! Hahaha!)

I don't even know what to write at this moment. Things just slip into my mind and then eventually I will forget all of them. I'm alone here in the apartment, and I don't have any indulgence to go out and have a walk in the mall. (Walk lang, walang ready na cash e, hehehe!) Actually, even if I have the money to spend, I don't really use it, unless it's important. I always have this thing in my head that whatever I will buy, it should be of great use to me. I would always think of how long I will be able to use it. My fiance would always tell me that if I want to buy something, I should buy it. Kilala naman daw nya kasi ako, masyado daw akong "Cory" (kuripot daw, hahaha!) He would even demonstrate that Laban sign that became famous during EDSA revolution. Hays... I don't know, maybe I just know the value of money that I don't want to waste it through buying something I like, but don't need. For me, every centavo must be well-spent. I know that money don't just fall from trees. Pinaghihirapan ko kasi lahat ng meron ako. Para kasi saken, I should live simply, kasi maraming mga tao ang ni hindi makumpleto ang complete set of meals sa isang araw.

But it is only now that I realize that I should pamper myself with the things that I like sometimes. Ano ba naman ung kumupit ako ng sanglibong piso sa libo libong kinikita ko buwan buwan (wow, ang yaman!!!! hahahaha!). A little prize for my hardwork.

Thank you Honey for making me realize this.

My "have never's"

This might sound funny to some, to know that there are still a lot of things and places which I have never done, been or seen. But I'm still brave enough to tell the world that as of this blogging, I have never:

1. seen Manila Cathedral
2. been drunk (because I don't drink, hehe)
3. been to Enchanted Kingdom
4. watched a Matrix movie
5. failed to check if water is dripping from the faucet every night before I sleep
6. eaten exotic foods (if that is how they call meat of dogs, frogs, sawa, bayawak, at kung ano pang hindi baboy, baka, manok o isda)
7. slept in prone position (nakadapa) (hmm.. none that I'm conscious of)
8. smoked (not even tried, because I hate it!)

Hmmm... these are some of the "have never's" that I remember. I'll try to recall some other things that I can add to this list. :)

Just a thought..

I can't imagine how my life would be running if all the things that happened to me did not happen. If I would be given the chance to live my life all over again, I wouldn't change anything. The hardships, the trials and the sad and depressing moments made me tough. The sweet and loving times I had with my family and friends made me realize how blessed I am. Problems will always be present no matter how we live our lives. We just have to live it the way it should be lived. We should stay happy, do what we love to do, and start doing it NOW. :)

The Programmer and Me

I once met this programmer way back in Grade 6, when I was asked by my teacher to be the conductress of the school choir which would join a competition during that time. I didn't notice him at first... hmm.. actually, i really didn't notice him. All I remember is a petite boy wearing eyeglasses standing at the right part of the choir. No acquaintances. No conversations.

Then we went to the same school in high school. He was my classmate during our freshmen year. I didn't notice him during the first day of class when usually our teachers would let us introduce ourselves to everyone... hmm..actually, i really didn't notice him until the last day of that school year.

We never had communication during our college years. In fact, I almost forgot I had a schoolmate who used to wear eyeglasses in elementary. Maybe because we were not really close friends.

When we were already working, we had the chance to talk through FB chat, and there he revealed that his long term relationship failed. I felt sad for him, even if we were not really close. During that time, he was in KSA.

When he went home in 2009, we had the chance to meet during Christmas with our friends. And maybe that was when we started building a friendship which we both cherish right now.

I may have not noticed him in years, but now, I am happy and proud to say that this programmer whom I never thought I would like for myself is now my fiance. :D

I never wished for Chris. All I know is that God always brings something or someone in our lives not because we wished for them but because He knows the true desires of our hearts. :)

I Missed Mimi!

I missed Mimi so much! I was truly happy when she and Mon went home to celebrate Mama's and Joy's birthdays. Eventhough it was just a week, it's better than not seeing her at all. I so love her! I miss you Mims! :D

Takaw... Wherever you are..

It's been nine years since he left me... But it still feels like it was just yesterday.

He was one of the most amazing people I know. We call each other "Takaw". It was him who first called me like that. We were both band members; I was the band leader and he was the ever talented member who knew how to play all kinds of instruments (from saxophone to trombone to trumpet to clarinet) except for the strings. I would always lead the band members to the table during fiestas, and he would always follow me. After all of the people had their food, Erwin and I would be seen at the table still getting our share. And that's how it all started. Pareho kaming matakaw. He would comb my hair in school programs during high school (when I was not the emcee or part of the organizing committee). He didn't mind if a lot of people would see him do that. He was one vain person, keeping face powder inside his shirt pocket and always combing his well trimmed hair. We were seat mates during English class, and one day, I heard him sing this line : "I do cherish you, for the rest of my life, you don't have to think twice..." He was just the sweetest.

Just last night, I heard Toni Braxton's and Babyface's "How Could An Angel Break My Heart"
and I began to miss him again. That was the last song I heard him sing. I miss doing crazy stuffs with him. During high school, he asked me and Arvie to accompany him to his girl's house to ask for her parents to allow him to court her. Isn't that sweet (and brave)? Bottom line, that girl became his first and only girlfriend. And I was the proudest (I'm not sure if there is such a word) best buddy at that time.

Three days before he left, I gave him a simple note, thanking Him for everything he did for me. I didn't know why I did that. I just felt the urge of letting him know how much I appreciate and admire him for being one of the coolest guys I knew. In that note, I wrote that we would be sitting beside each other on graduation day. I told him that even if we would go to different universities, we would set aside some of our time so we could still do crazy stuffs together. I promised him that I would always be wherever he needs me when he needs me. And three days after, I realized why I had to write that note.

Takaw, I know that you are happy with our Great Lord. I want you to know that I still think of you every time, wishing that we had spent a few more moments together. No one can ever replace such a beautiful soul. No one can ever replace you in my heart. You will always be with me. I will always have you.

I miss you...

To Mama and to all the mothers...

I was watching America's Got Talent and happened to watch Neil E. Boyd. He sang this very beautiful song for mothers. As usual, i was crying and missed my Mama, even if I was just talking to her over the phone two hours ago. I hope you all like this song..

MAMA
Il Divo

Mama thank you for who I am
Thank you for all the things I'm not
Forgive me for the words unsaid
And for the times
I forgot
Mama remember all my life
You showed me love,you sacrificed
Think of those young and early days
How I've changed
Along the way (along the way)
Bridge:
And I know you believed
And I know you had dreams
And I'm sorry it took all this time to see
That I am where I am because of your truth
And I miss you , I miss you
Mama forgive the times you cried
Forgive me for not making right
All of the storms I may have caused
And I've been wrong
Dry your eyes (dry your eyes)
Bridge : Cause I know you ....
Mama I hope this makes you smile
I hope you're happy with my life
At peace with every choice I made
How I've changed
Along the way (along the way)
Cause I know you believed in all of my dreams
And I owe it all to you ,mama

Ilang taon ka na ba, Anna?

I just love Charlie Green! I am a fan of his music, and even if it makes me really old fashioned, I don't care. I love him and the likes of Michael Buble, Jose Mari Chan, The Beatles, Engelbert Humperdinck, The Platters, and a lot more of wonderful singers from their times. I find their music really relaxing, and I play their songs especially when I feel stressed. If only I can meet all of them... hehehe! (Kaya ka tinatawag na manang e...tsk!)