Breathe.

It was one of those days when even the slightest, smallest task of day was too much to bear. December is the craziest month in everyone's calendar and 2010's may just be the craziest of them all. The economy {at least this side of the planet} has picked up, everyone's toting long lists of gifts to buy. Everyone has a Christmas party go to to and year end celebrations are left and right. Amidst all these, I chose to stay behind, catch up on work, stay home when I have no purpose of going out. I did my Christmas shopping when everyone else was partying and I guess my only indulgence for this month was participating {albeit with a bigger role compared last year} at the team presentation for the Christmas party.

Let me tell you a little about what I think presentations and company Christmas parties. If there is anything I wouldn't trade for the more vagabond life, it will be office interactions and Christmas parties. Despite the perceived growth stunt and office politics, I find that the ones I work with are so dynamic, it's amazing. And where I come from, the Christmas parties are some kind of wonderful.

When our big boss declared that we were to reclaim our title, and that I was playing one of the leads in the presentation, I had no qualms in participating. While performing on stage is not everybody's cup of tea, I find it preposterous hiding talents / bravado / kapal ng mukha by not performing. As for me, my only thought was, "Why not?"

Our theme was this year's popular party theme {Glee} and our team's presentation was the episode Britney / Brittany. You can now guess that I of course, played Britney / Rachel, singing and dancing toHit Me Baby, One More Time, right smack in the Rizal Ballroom of Makati Shangri La. Here are some snaps:

OOTN #1: Dress from Chilli {with my officemate J}

Frozen Smile. In my costume and ready to go but having pangs of stage fright.

OOTN #2

In full performance career mode,

Hit Me Baby, One More Time. And it {the diet, the no-drinking part, the workout} paid off! I won the Best Female Performer award!

The Boys of Stronger. How I wish men played football in the Philippines for real.

Together with the Stronger boys, Me Against the Music Britney/Madonna, and I'm a Slave 4 U Britneys, dancing to Toxic. {Career mode talaga ako.}

Watch this if you want to see how careerI am :P

And so, WE WON, again!

So it was time to party!

OOTN #3:

I originally planned to wear something else but decided against it last minute because this dress was easier to slip into. Tamad!

{That's me and teammate, TJ}

Not sure what I was doing here. Blast from the Past.

I've always wanted someone to write me a poem. I did not know that this dream came true in the early 2000s, it even got published, too.

I wonder if your kisses still hold the air that touched my lips.
I shrugged the midnight thought, I opened my eyes and let the sun shine.
Bittersweet are days without promises. Your image gushed into my head, as I picked-up the sobered flesh.
The world turns because of yesterdays and soons.
My finger taps the unforgiving of time.
Your presence runs through my veins, yet I can’t still have you.
Your beauty is painful more than ever.
I guess, we’ll keep everything from a stare.
I guess, the world will remain unfair.

Reconnect with an old friend. In 2004, I met one of the wisest people in my life. She was probably twice my age but was one of the coolest, smartest people I know. In 2006, we had a friendship fallout due to thesis class {she never finished college until then because life happened, how cool is that?} and many many times since, I've wanted to reconnect with her, find out how she is now, talk to her about the most mundane things of life and see if my hope that life be good to her did happen.

STATUS: I tried dialing her mobile # whilst typing this, however it seems like she's changed it so I have to try soon again. EDIT: The BFF knows her number so let's see what happens :)

CHECK.

I have no words for the feeling of reuniting with one of the best, greatest friends I've ever had and all I have to show is my shirt that got wet from the dam of tears that exploded. I am not even kidding.

Best of all, I am done with Christmas shopping! Well, almost. But there's a few that's left on my list and I'll be done with the help of online shopping! *insert wide smile*

What are you loving today?

*Photo credits: M. Lua and J. Balbido.

TILS: Pride, Old Friendships and Blast from the Past