congo grille party mems

our 4th year high school class, embryology, had a Christmas party at congo grille, westgate alabang, last thursday. i almost did not go because i was already falling asleep on the bus, but louison told me: ano ka ba? minsan na nga lang tayo magkikita-kita e.

oo nga naman. minsan lang kami magkita-kita. the last time i saw most of them was after selene's (the first & currently only 'embryo' baby) baptism last october 2. so okay, i'll go.

louison:if ever mauna kayo sa kin, get a table for at least 15 seats.
me: get a table for at least 15 seats? seats ang kasama natin?
louison: haha! editor! table na, seats pa. bwehehe.
me: oo nga, e. i didn't know that you had a fetish for furniture.
louison: haha! alam mo naman ako, kinky! bwehehe.

cracked up over that text exchange. anyway, i got to westgate & started looking for congo grille. sabi ni loui, malapit lang daw sa fitness first. however, congo grille wasn't anywhere near fitness first! it was practically on the other side of westgate. the cold, cold wind almost froze me to death, as i was walking from one end of westgate to another.

well, found congo grille, mission accomplished at 7:55. no one from embryo was in sight, so i had a table set up for 15 people (not 15 seats :) ). i thought that i could occupy myself for a couple more minutes, but the length of the table for one person was overwhelming. kinukulit ko na tuloy si loui na pumunta na para may kasama na ko. sabi niya, parang hindi mo pa kilala ang mga yun. pag sinabing 8, it means 9, even 10 for embryo.

oo nga naman. oh, well. started making their phones ring, then. it's a message in a sense: where the hell are you people?! i'm here, waiting! harhar! good thing, je-ann, dianne & calai arrived soon after. calai brought selene with her.

Ricaflor, with Stephanie Selene Isabel Cabingan. Selene's not smiling here, but isn't she cute nevertheless? She'll be a year old on the 29th.

then the rest of them started coming in. my, it's ironic how we've all changed & stayed the same! i'm not sure if this is making any sense, but that's the way i feel about us. we've changed as we've grown older, & wiser through all of the experiences that we've been going through - going to college, getting a degree, working, starting relationships, ending relationships, losing loved ones, finding ourselves. but we've stayed the same to an extent, because we've remained friends. the bond is still there.

we talked about what's new - mostly about how our jobs are teaching us new things, or stressing us out infinitely. looney & i especially made time to talk - she heard something about me, that's why.

Embryo's Graces: Grace Roselle & Kristine Grace. May I just say, I hate this pic! My face looks round enough to roll around & never stop. I hate gaining weight. Argh.

ayun, coco, tin, deirdre, shai, calai & i went home at around 11, because many of us still had work tomorrow. grabe, ang traffic papuntang moonwalk! pero okay lang, we were able to talk a lot because of that. i remember one of us saying na sana, wedding na ang next na pupuntahin namin together. :)

so, the night ended for us. i heard though, that papu & john (i think) arrived at around 12. grabe papu, anong petsa na yun?! hehe...

i can't help but think, what will we be like in our next christmas party? which things would change, & which would remain the same? we will know in a year, i guess. ;)