As March 30 sets in....

"Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are" so goes this overused quotation. With new terms and levels of friendship analyzed to fit this new world, this quote may no longer hold true right? Well I guess not if your intentions are genuine enough.

I have plenty of friends, of varying degrees, from all walks of life, of different shapes and sizes, some are very rich while some are from the streets ( nagugulat sila minsan pati taong grasa kaibigan ko, heheheehehe ). Some have spots and some are alcogel-clean. I want to be friends with everyone - they who also have genuine hearts like what I believe I have. As a-matta-a-fact, two of my best friends are dogs! Well, what's wrong with a pig having dogs as friends anyway, hahahahahahaha!

There were plenty of times I needed friends to run to in times of need. I instilled into myself that whatever support I got, I would give it back in return, not necessarily to the same person. I enjoyed the movie "Paying Forward"? for it reflected a facet of what friendship meant to me.

I want to focus this blog on my Angel's Wink Family. We go a long way. Almost all of us met and worked at Cap Phils., Inc. - yes, the pre-need company in dire straits, thanks to GMA's politicking. I was in the corporate communications department and Cesar, Love, Tita Angie (Mamsie), Sarah, Abet, Juvy and Ellen were part of the sales force. A different sales force because we enjoyed music and theater in that company.

They were choir members, quartet group, dance teams, actors and actresses. My team handled their conventions and presentations and surely we easily connected, although I was outwardly 'neutral' then since theirs was just one of the four major groups from all over the country.

Come to think of it, Beth Figuro did special projects too with the company ( she was with DSL Productions who supplied equipment for us ) and she would sway in and out of our floor for presentations. And yes, Elaine and Stella (singer-hosts) who were lounge singers like me had guested on some CAP Foundations too!

We also have bunsos: John Lee-Llacer, a kababayan and was also part of CAP ( CAP Health ) is now busy making moolah in real estate ( kaya ayaw na rumaket sa AWP, heheheehe ); Erica, my niece who is also our bridal fair's "signature model"; and Fiona, Love's seven-year old (?) daughter. Yes, she is a kabarkada. And of course my daughter Angela, who will now go on-training this summer. Atom may be older than the kids but he is also our bunso - sexy version ni Paulo Clemente and ang galing din mag-host!

Nga pala, kung may bunso, may senior citizen din pala kami, si Tita Angie!!!!!! Nye-nye-nye-nye! We love her dearly and glad she is with us. Siyempre, iba na ang may karanasan.... saan? Hahaahahahhahaa! She also happens to be born the same date as my Mom - March 25. She is our feisty Hot Mama.

I am glad we are a group. We were just enjoying ourselves then and when Ces and I decided to offer coordination services, we never had a difficult time getting people to help us through. For after all, these friends of ours are not just your ordinary sales people. They are the best and had the best training. They have organizational skills and team work knowledge plus their exposure to those grandiose productions we staged for years and years at CAP is something we could have full use of in our event company

We are very comfortable with each other and it reflects on our work. We are the original "jologs" long before the term was coined.We are just happy to be together, period. To be able to meet up and work at the same time, what an added bonus! Libre chicha na ( anyenye! ) may bonding sessions, courtesy of our dear clients, hahahahahaha!

I thank you guys for the friendship and I really am very glad to be part of your lives. You bring me joy and happiness and I am grateful for the opportunity. Get ready na for Baguio and Boracay!!!!!!

TRIBUTE TO SIR CES

Most of all, I would want to have a special portion here for someone since he insisted. Kidding aside, If there is one thing I am very thankful for, it is having met this brilliant guy who had been so helpful in bringing AWP where it stands now. Around 1998? I was beginning to have difficulties attending to all the wedding and other inquiries. It didn't even occur to me then nga that I will be into this full time. Anyway, I couldn't handle my schedule, follow up, etc anymore unlike when it just came in trickles but around this time it was flooding. Heelllp!

I needed someone to represent me na and since our subject, Cesarlito "Ces" Borromeo Aglipay, had very good sales background, I knew he could sell a big man and tell them he is sexy. Ako yun. hahahahahaha!

Little did we know that we would be going full time into production and events. We are even producing two successful bridal fairs annually ( "Power Weddings" every February and "Weddings... Get Set... Go!" in October, both at Rockwell )

I do not hide the fact that I have short temper most times and Ces neutralized everything. I could concentrate on my creative spins and marketing plans and I was sure he would implement all these very well. He talked to clients the way I never could. I simply cannot sell myself. Feeling ko kc I am worth my weight in gold, hahahahahaha!

And he sold me like a pimp! In no time I was a CURACHA as in walang pahinga. I've never been so gratified. Well, for one, magaling talaga talent niya, ako yun. Mwahahahahahaha!

As a friend, Ces taught me some basic values which I never would have learned if he was not the one who inducted me into them. He must have have been an angel sent from up above. I did the roller coaster ride and he made me stabilize myself and simply enjoy life's simple pleasures. Feeling ko tuloy parang when I met him, nare-hab ako, hahahahahahaha!

He made me learn how to use money well and he gave me wise investment options. He is my finance and investment man. I wouldn't have been able to save were it not for his control over money matters. This guy is a genius. Any takers? I guarantee 100%. Call me, ako naman ang agent niya, bwahahahahahaha!

Ces, if you are reading this, thanks so much for being my kasangga. Salamat sa iyong ginintuang puso. Nawa'y biyayaan ka ng Maykapal ng gintong mga ngipin pagtanda mo. Haahhahahahahahaha! O ayan, supermega puri na ako sa yo oha! Pengeng kape! Bwahahahahhahaha! Yun lang.

FRIENDS I MISS

My CAP Friends: Mrs. Lilia Reyes, Mam Estrelle, Egay & Cecille and Winston, pati na rin si Mam Lerms...
My highschool friends - Benjie, Danny, Allan, Carol, Francis, Floteo, Imelda, Dennis etc
My college friends - Karl & Jeni, Dr. Jessie Solis, Jess Yalung ( R.I.P. ),
My "Lounge years" friends - Joey Bautista and ex-wife, Ate Jean, Ruby and the Pulse regulars

PLACES I MISS:

Baguio, Ticao Island in Masbate, Cebu, Davao, Boracay, My quaint office room in CAP, Yung carinderia beside CAP, Project 6 the way it used to be.... Cafe Adriatico... ano pa ba

Things I miss: Jopay the old white car, Camel cigarette, the old sofa in our Bulacan Haus.... LOLA FELY!