dear december's next 10 days-- (part 2)

December 20: Elaine's wedding in Caleruega

Tagged along with Andrea and Lilie to attend their college friend Elaine's wedding to longtime sweetheart Libert in famous wedding spot Caleruega in Nasugbu, Batangas. I was in a dress. It was chilly out and the scenery was breathtaking. I really think we should all get out of Metro Manila once in a while because man our countrysides are AWESOME. We took a lot of pictures of each other in dresses LOL. Lilie was a bridesmaid and Andrea was a reader. Hurray for friendships that span years and withstand the test of time, naks :) Best wishes and congratulations, Elaine and Libert! Ngl, naiyak ako sa vows niyo haha.

(Photos under cut!)

dear december's next 10 days-- (part 1)

Part 1: College block reunion + Research get-together + Angels Night + M and V birthday and welcome back for J

THE PAST FEW DAYS IN SUMMARY = OH MAN, that was such a RIOT.

I haven't been in so many pictures/taken so many pictures FOR YEARS HAHA.

(cut for partying like i'm twenty it's the end of the world)

dear december's first ten days--

--man, you've been swell. I mean, two company parties AND 25 successful simultaneous Read-Along sessions? Man, you've got to be kidding me.

(cut for timeline and massive picspam yo)

From Batanes to Tawi-Tawi: A post-mortem

n.b. Ruth Navarra's note on Facebook about the Read-Along brought tears to my eyes. Wow, has it really been only three years? Sure feels damn longer.

PDI's December 5 Page One

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I remember in December 2008 when the Read-Along was barely two years old and we were already swamped with offers from partners who wanted to host the sessions in their own venues outside of the Inquirer. I think that week before Christmas we had four or five of them, and two of them in a single day -- the morning in the office, and the afternoon somewhere else. I remember the consensus then was, 'Never Again' -- the stress levels were ridiculous.

Fast forward to early this year. We were in the middle of the elections and in one session graced by the Inquirer president, she told me: Why not have 25 simultaneous sessions for our 25th anniversary? I think I laughed. I laughed very nervously. At the back of my head, I was thinking about how impossible it all sounded.

Months later, here we are. Long story short -- we've managed to pull the whole thing off.

Yes, all 25 of them.

(See this for reference. Haha.)

(Cut for more gloating sentimental shi'. LOL.)

from batanes to tawi-tawi

Tomorrow, December 4, the Inquirer Read-Along team will hold not one, not two, but twenty-five simultaneous read-along sessions in twenty-five cities and provinces across the Philippines at 10 a.m. -- from Batanes to Tawi-Tawi, literally.

Five venues in Northern Luzon (Batanes, SM Baguio, SM San Fernando, SM Tarlac, Pangasinan), five in Greater Manila Area (PDI Makati, SM Mall of Asia, The Podium, SM North, SM Marilao), five in Southern Luzon (Marinduque, Legazpi, SM Lucena, SM Naga, SM Sta. Rosa), five in the Visayas (SM Iloilo, SM Bacolod, SM Cebu, Dumaguete City, Ormoc City) and five in Mindanao (Davao, Cotabato, Lanao del Norte, Cagayan de Oro City, Tawi-Tawi) -- more than 2,000 kids, over 70 volunteer readers, more than a hundred volunteers in four Inquirer bureaus and Metro Manila, one program.

Many hands have kept us afloat. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am so excited to pull this off with you guys. ♥