WALONG KUPAS

It's our 8nniversary! And for such a special occasion, we headed off to exotic...Sta. Rosa, Laguna? HELL YEAH Sta. Rosa, Laguna!!! We're a family now - we got school and work to consider - and Sta. Rosa ticked all the boxes for a fun, affordable and not-too-far off staycation. Or in LLDD-Hyphen-L Trivago search parameter terms, "find _______ within 5 minute drive of outlet shops..."

Enchanted Kingdom

I first went to EK when it had just opened and right after the last day of my bar exams, so you can imagine how perfect the place was then to blow off some steam. I'm so happy it's as fun and thrilling as before and I got to see the LLDD-Baby enjoy and experience it for the first time and the LLDD-Hyphen-L continue to be too chicken to try the Space Shuttle

o ayan, anak, hindi na natin kailangan pumunta pa ng Disneyland ha

The Fun Farm

The LLDD-Hyphen-L discovered this fun place on social media, so it seemed appropriate that when we were there a couple of hip celebrity bloggers and instagrammers also showed up. Strangely, they did not respond when I introduced myself as a contemporary.

"What do you mean you've never heard of the LLDD or my six followers?"

The Nuvali "Lake"

The area was obviously new and not yet fully mature, but it was still very pretty and relaxed and brought to light some comforting truths on this our eighth year of wedded bliss

• The LLDD-Baby's Jump Shot Rampage will continue indefinitely

• It's every parents' dream to raise their kids well and they grow up to take decent facebook photos of their mama and dada 

• And if it wasn't obvious to you yet....THE LLDD-HYPHEN-L IS HOTTER THAN EVER

#walangkupas

pizzaaAAAAAAAAAAAHH OH MY GOD!!!!

The same week a Head of State causes a major international row...

...the thing below was actually served by my staff at an office meeting, sourced from a nearby chain:

One official in attendance called it "an abomination".  Another said it was "a crime against nature."

It was eaten up in 5 minutes.

Congratulations DFA, you've ruined pizza.  And meetings.

LATER PLAYER

By my count, since I was recalled in 2015, no less than seven batchmates have left the Home Office for their second foreign postings. Yet I have been unable to blog kind parting words for any of them. Well, that ends with JOIN EVASION ‘COS NASA AJAR, simply because his departure has been the batch's most epic so far. Consider:

• He volunteered for assignment to a hardship post

• He didn't just have a despedida, he had a freakin' boodle fight

and had a suspiciously adequate supply of latex gloves

• On the day of his departure, he decides it's the right time to ask every home-based batchmate about dating apps and undergarment shopping

 "the universal rule" he's told "is 'classy over trashy' "

• Mere minutes before his trip to the airport for his outbound flight, I find him sat down in my room calling up a real estate agent and buying a condo

he got the floor price

Right after he flew out, I wanted to message him "good luck" or "take care" or something like that, but I found that he had already updated his profile pic and cover photo immediately upon arrival at post :

yeah, I think he'll be alright

BECAUSE OF COURSE SOMEONE MADE A #PASSPORTHUGOT FOR FEBRUARY 14

So I dropped this on the LLDD-Hyphen-L's facebook page...

Red.  Official.  Parang tayo sa Valentine's.

And the LLDD-Hyphen-L duly replied...

Yeah. Still got it.



---------------------------

Update! Someone also just put together some judicial hugots, including the timely and profound "For many, a matrimonial union figuratively ends on the reefs of matrimonial shoals."  

Perhaps, but it can still serve as the basis for an exclusive economic friendzone!

 Pictured: Love, Philippine style

BATCH PICTURE-PICTURE 2017: WE'RE NOT EVEN TRYING ANYMORE

So I wanted to get gassed up after lunch...sorry, let me try that again. One lunchbreak, I wanted to eat out and afterwards re-fuel my automobile. So I sent a casual invite to any batchmates straggling at the home-office who wanted to join me. A grand total of four were available which, workload and foreign assignments considered, was about all we could hope for. Anyway, as we were driving, one of us remarked "'di ba ngayon tayo nagba-batch picture-picture?"

And so it came to pass at a Macapagal intersection:

No theme, no backdrop, no nothing. And the batch at half-strength.

And yet...not bad. 

Still, I'm sure it would have been an even better picture if everyone based in the home-office was around.

there you go

TWITPLOMACY BEEF IS A THING NOW

And memes are the new Notes

Makes you wonder: are Philippine foreign service posts now into throwing social media shade? Do our embassies abroad have any bitter twitter beef?

Nah B, no beef. Just Chickenjoy.

ODD DORK OUT

Throughout history, there have been numerous recorded instances of awesome assemblies undermined by the unexpected appearance of someone who makes everyone go, "WTF is he doing here?!?" An otherwise perfect gathering of the very best an industry or profession has to offer is ruined by these, these...photo-Gumpers, if you will, whose presence is only even possible because of pure luck...

...sheer chutzpah...

...peer pity...

...or a sad combination of all three.

you don't even need to know who the others are or what's going on, you can already see it in my eyes: ako saling pusa dito

TOP 5 THINGS HEARD DURING MY HIGH SCHOOL CLASS' CHRISTMAS REUNION

We're not strapping young green archers anymore

5. "Pare, napahiya ako sa staff ko, wala na palang gumagamit ng term 'Bomba Star' "

4. "Hay naku, mga millennials na 'yan, may dalawa na akong interns na umiyak sa harap ko"

3. (*someone talking to me*) "Yeah, I saw your wife on facebook...I assume she's much younger than you?"

2. (*the most inebriated classmate accidentally posts a bad word on fb messenger, which may or may not have caused another classmate to leave the group*) "I apologize for the foul language..that was not intended...I don't even remember texting...may gumamit ba ng phone ko?...I am deeply sorry if I offended anyone...I'm just so embarrassed by my actions"

1. "Aga na natin malasing.  Sa New Year's gathering, breakfast na nga lang"

Over our dad bodies.

HAVE YOURSELF A MA-DRAMA LITTLE CHRISTMAS

And to all...

(LLDD-Baby, blink twice if you're being held against your will)

(*blinks twice*)

(blink some more if you want out of the family)

(*BLINKS FURIOUSLY*)