Before we moved to the US last year, I have been blessed to have been able to visit the US five times.  The first time was sweet because it was my first time to leave the country…first time to ride a plane…first time to visit the US.  All those trips to the US, California was our ultimate destination.  Nevada was the only other state we got to visit.  As I got older, I wanted to visit other states and see new places.

My wish came true on our fifth US trip.  It was just as sweet as my first visit to the US because this time, hubby was with me…and my Mom and brother, too.  Best of all, we spent one week in New York!  There are so many things to do in New York that I found one week to be too short.  We were there mainly for a trade show so we didn’t get to go on sightseeing tours.  We explored the city on our own after trade fair hours and reserve one or two days for sightseeing with relatives.

I practically drooled non-stop as we explored 5th Avenue from end to end.  It was surreal to be right smack in the middle of Times Square.  I felt like I was in a movie set as we went up the Empire State Building and enjoyed the sights from there.  Our hotel was just a stone’s throw away from Central Park.  We took pictures at Grand Central Station and hubby and I even have a souvenir VHS video with Conan O’Brien.  Really!  I just love New York and I hope to go there again soon and then drive off to Boston to visit my friend.  I know there are also lots of  Things to do in Boston so we’ll definitely have to make a stop there.

The question is when. :D  We’ve already got plans for the summer so I’m thinking for New York, September would be nice.  I’ve been checking out the site of Trusted Tours and Attractions for sightseeing possibilities in both New York and Boston.  I got to the site on time as they are having a promotion right now.  By simply signing up for their newsletter, one gets a chance to win a $150 Itunes gift card.

Ahhh, New York. I’ll see you soon.

I got this super fun tag from my favorite tag-buddy, Meeya. :D  Meeya and I were classmates during our high school freshman year in UST.  And even if we were no longer classmates from 2nd to 4th year, we were together every Saturday either at the back of the UST Grandstand or at the Espana side of the football field doing girly stuff…girly scouty stuff…you know, tying knots, frying egg using oslo paper, etc.

The rule for this meme is very simple:  Think back to 4th year high school and answer the following question.

Let’s see how much you remember and how much you regret.

What section were you?
:: St. Daria (May I just say that that’s Section 1 girls for the afternoon section.  Nerd alert!  Nerd alert!)

Who were your seatmates?
:: I have an aisle seat.  Across the aisle from me is my high school best friend, Aileen.  To my right was a dear friend, Lovella (Love for short but she’s Ana now here in the US).  And next to Love is another bossom buddy, Milen.

Still remember your english teacher?
:: Ms. Esperanza Cano.

What was your first class?
::  Hello?  I can’t remember!

Made friends with the lower years?
:: Yes, mostly boys and girls from the associations I belonged to:  Girl Scouts, Debating Society, Student Council, etc.

How was your class schedule?
:: I belonged to the afternoon session.  Classes started at 12:30.  On my freshman and sophomore years, we were dismissed at 4:30, and on my junior and seniors years at 5:45pm.  I had P.E. & Health classes in the morning (twice a week) and even though I had afternoon classes, I still come to school early everyday to attend to extra curricular chuvah.

Made any enemies?
:: As far as I know, none.

Who was your favorite teacher(s)???
:: Ms. Cano (English), Mrs. Vitug (Trigonometry) and Ms. Viray (Algebra)

What sport did you play?
:: Nothing!  Handball for PE!  That’s it!

Were you a party animal?
:: No.  I had a very strict mom. :D  Hee hee!

Were you well known in your school?
:: Hmm, kinda?  Kidding.  Hahaha!

Skipped classes?
:: Definitely not.  I was class secretary and I had to take attendance every day. 

Did you get suspended/expelled?
:: Nevah! :) 

Can you sing the alma mater?
:: Yes.

What was your favorite subject?
:: English because it was mostly public speaking.  Hee hee!

Did you go to the dances?
:: Yes, I went to both proms.  Dateless for the junior prom and with hubby (we went to the same high school) for the senior prom.

Where did you go most often during breaks?
:: I stayed in the classroom during afternoon recess. :D  I’m not a huge fan of canteen food.

What did you do on the last day of school?
:: Said sweet goodbyes, wrote short goodbye and good luck messages on ”dedication notebooks” and the school uniforms of friends.  Huhuhu.

As an added bonus, here’s my high school grad pic.  I snagged it from the USTHS92 website.

Photo by X’or, the official photo studio of UST. Make-up by my friend, Caroline. Hahaha!

I’m tagging Abby, Gracie and Nell.

Last Saturday, I received a very nice surprise from a new blogging friend, Odette.  She sent me a lovely note on a card she made herself.  Not only that, being the really talented craft person that she is, she also sent me 4 blank flatcards with envelopes, which she designed herself.  I was truly pleasantly surprise.

In spite of advances in technology, it does feel good to receive greetings in the mail.  So I’m thinking, I’ll at least make it a point to send friends and family birthday cards via snail mail instead of e-cards.  May to September are what I consider to be the birthday heavy months.  Hee hee.  But since I don’t have time to painstakingly make individual cards for the people I hold dear, I might just have to order the birthday cards in bulk through CardsDirect.  I’ve already picked out the design…

What do you think?  I think it makes for a good birthday card for people of all ages, whether male or female.  And since I’ll be ordering in bulk, say, 25 pieces, I’ll get a better deal, too price-wise.  Cards go for $4 and above in stationery and bookstores so I’ll definitely be saving a lot on-line.  I’ve got a lot of cards to send anyway!  There are many desings to choose from and once I’ve made a final choice, I can personalize the cards, too!  I can choose to leave the inside of the card blank or have a special message printed.  The same goes for the envelopes.  I can have my return address printed on them already!

Let me go make a list of upcoming birthdays to be sure I’ll order enough cards! Hee hee!

This is the life! :)  This was taken last year.  At 3 years of age, Abby has taken more bubble baths than her dad and I combined.

Heaven on a Plate HERE, my other WW entry.   More WW participants HERE.