Goodbye 2013: A Summary

1 more day and the year is over. 2013 – finito! It has been a leap year for me. Leaps and bounds.

I finally found her (Mitch). I have decided to learn to drive. And bought a 2014 Kia Sportage then named her Basha.
My 2013 travels were more flights but less destinations: South Korea, Armenia and Kenya. I also went back home and met Ambet Ocampo (only one of my favorite authors).
Friends entered into a relationship, some even got married while some friends had children. Our very own family welcomed another bundle of joy named Rafael Bundalian, my 2nd nephew.
Work has been great. Got promoted to Assistant Manager post at work while my choir won the 2013 Score’s UAE Choir of the Year.

It was a year of love and achievements.

As the year draws to a close, let me summarize 2013’s funnier posts. I promise 2014 will have more than the lackluster number of posts of 2013. Enjoy:

15. Wasak with Fries on the Side
14. Thor sa Kenya
13. Ronald’s Gift 2013 
12. Unfollow Atong
11. Karol’s Profile Pic
10. Mimi’s Chanel Bag
09. Tem: Manggagantso
08. Capiznon Joke
07. Focus Runs in the Family
06. Doon Kayo
05. CVC 8th Anniversary Party: Arrange Yourself by Age
04. Vice Nanay
03. Real Estate and a Baby
02. Pambugaw sa Multo TV
01. Sonya’s Garden Incident

 

DFC Performance

For four days we sang twenty minutes every hour during the last weekend before Christmas.

During the final set of the final day, I told the guys, “Pano ba yan? Last set na… It has been nice working with you guys.”
“Oa lang kuya?” Mat asked.

 

Christmas Drama 2013

Christmas Eve 2013 at our house in the Philippines…

Nanay to herself outloud, “Wala lahat ng anak ko ngayong Pasko…”
Tem answered, “Nay, di ho ba ako anak?”
“Wala akong nareceive na Christmas card.”
“Di bali bibilhan ko kayo. Bukas na bukas. Ilan ho ba gusto n’yo?”
“HUWAG NA!” Nanay screamed.

 

Tem and Nanay

 

Appliance Greeting

Tahill, a colleague seated across me, tried to call me. Since I knew it was him, I answered, “Moshi Moshi!” The Japanese greeting for hello.
“Fridge,” he answered.
“Huh?” I asked.
“You said Washing Machine so I thought were naming random appliances.”
“Not Washing Machine. Moshi Moshi. It’s Japanese.”

 

Rudolph, Orlee and Rollie

Last weekend, our group was tasked to perform at the Dubai Festival City every hour from 6PM tip 10PM to spread the holiday cheer.
Rollie was late for the first show while I was assigned to sing the solo part of the first lines for “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”.

After the first set, Rollie arrived. He was bashed big time by everyone. He forgot the call time.
After that, Joy came up to me and said, “Orlee! Nawala ka nanaman sa Rudolph.” I was aware I might have lost a couple of notes and Joy confirmed it.
“Oo nga eh. Bawi ako sa next set,” I answered, “OH LATE SI ROLLIE OH.” I pointed back at Rollie.
“Magpakain ka Rollie! Late ka!” Everyone screamed.
That’s one way of taking the heat off of you. 

 

TBT #11: Christmas Memo

Christmas 2008:

This memo came from Admin Dept yesterday morning:

Dear All,

As we do this every year please may I request all to wear something REDtomorrow (24 Dec 2008)  to celebrate the festive season.  I shall reiterate that wear something that can been seen without you making an effort to show it !!  hence undergarments, socks and vest and not counted for.

Let’s all be a good sport.  There will be photo sessions as well so you can bring your cameras.  I am trying to arrange some goodies, if I succeed then we will meet in the pantry at 9.30am and enjoy the same, else we will have to be satisfied with our red clothes and load of laughs.

Luv
Meena

****

Why point out?

 

My Soundcloud

Having an active SoundCloud account means you are confident enough to record songs and share it online.

Two weekends ago, I had the courage to record, Mahal na Mahal Kita by Sam Concepcion and the reviews were pretty… Pretty rude.
I shared it to them while we were at a Japanese restaurant in Deira, we were all laughing at their sarcasm.
“Ok naman… kaya lang nag-o-off minsan.”
“Sana wala nang kulot-kulot.”
Trying hard yung boses mo.”

“Kaya pala andaming nag-view, pero konti lang nag-like,” I told them.

While they were listening to the recording, the restaurant purposely cranked up the volume of the Christmas music.
“Ouch.”

 

Mass Spoiler Alert

“Orlee, simbang gabi na ba ngayon?” Mercy, my colleague, asked me.
“Oo. Kakanta kami mamaya,” I told her.
“Ahhh. Sa simbang gabi?”
“Hindi, yung misa bago yun. Yung English.”
“Ah nagsimba na ako nung Sabado. Ang homily eh yung tungkol kay Jesus saka yung sa mga bulag…” she told me.
“MERCY! Wag ka mag-spoil! Di pa ako nagsisimba. Wag mo ispoil yung homily.”
She laughed. Hard.

 

Turista sa Sariling Bayan

Since we already booked a Maldives tour for 2014, Bing told me, “Orlee, Boracay na lang tayo sa Pilipinas. Kahit hindi na Bali (Indonesia). Kasi may Maldives na.”
“Ay! Bali!” I insisted.
“Di pa say nag-bo-Boracay,” Bing insisted. Mitch was just smiling.
“Nag Seoul na ‘yan! Maldives! Armenia! Kenya!”
“Eh hindi pa s’ya nakakaikot sa Pilipinas.”
“Di ba nga? HUWAG MAGING TURISTA SA SARILING BAYAN.”
“Ha!? Mali!” Bing questioned.
“Tama! Yun ang algi ko naririnig,” I told them.
“Pero hindi yun yung context nun.”

Huwag maging dayuhan sa sariling bayan.

 

Christmas Off

Carol did a call brigade asking the Filipinos if we wanted to take a leave on Christmas day. Unfortunately for me, I used all my leaves for the whole year traveling to Philippines, Kenya, Armenia and South Korea.
“What? Orlee? You used all your leaves?” my boss asked.
“Yes.”
“No Christmas leave for you then,” she told me, “Now, can you transfer this to Eugene,”
Tahill, my Indian colleague, asked, “What was that about?”
“It was our boss, asking if we wanted to take a leave on Christmas…. Tahill! Hurry! Pretend you’re Christian so you could take a leave.”
He looked at me blankly and said, “Orlee… I AM CHRISTIAN!”
Face palm moment.