happy birthday baby sister

"you will always be my baby..."

*inside joke between Ana, mama and i.* When she (ana) was young, i always was her baby sitter, and PTA attender. by the time i started working, i used to take her everywhere i go, whether i was shopping, in the spa, in the gym and even on my dates (to my then boyfriend's amusement).
she was my pretend baby/child. i took her to see her first cinema (Lion King), her first disco, her first drinking spree and cigarette puff (i was a cool "ate",lol).
so when she was about 11 or 12 years old, my mom and i played a prank on her. we sat her down for a serious talk and told her in my dramatic voice that in reality,she was my daughter and had my mom pretend she was hers because i was too young for a scandal. Ana didnt know how to react whether she wanted to be happy or to be sad, she looked at my mom for comfort but my mom nodded in agreement to my faux revelation..but then we couldn't stop laughing, and i'm sure Ana heaved a sigh of relief when she realized it was one (ugly) prank we gave her.


on mother's day this year, she sent me a message online to say " happy mothers' day Ate..love, your pretend daughter".. this made me laugh out loud.

This entry is to say how much she is treasured and adored by everyone in our family.

More than anything, she is a gift to my life...in fact, to my entire family's life. Needless to say, Ana, Angkai, Tita Nana, -- is loved by her ate's, kuya's , cousins , mama and im sure, papa in heaven is missing her too.

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I was so happy that we had the opportunity to skype tonight (which is her birthday already as its already the 24th in cebu). Adrian and i sang "happy birthday" to her while she was at work.

Grateful for technology-- which makes distance seem a lot bearable.


and grateful for this space where my heart can load off some of the giddiness it could not handle.

have an awesome day, loves. 

sister love, always.

My sister have been very very busy recently and although we Skype every week and an occasional Viber and Whatsapp during the week, i feel it's never enough updates from her.

Whenever i talk to my mom over the phone, i get an occasional update on what  Ana has been doing and i must say she lives a wonderful productive life.

So today over skype, i made her promise to update me with her life with all that she does, with a blog i can visit.  Reluctantly, she agreed, quite unsure whether she has enough time to do so.  But i asked it to be a birthday gift for me.

Here, she writes.

Ana is, (and always will be), a flighty blogger (just like her Ate). She cannot stick to one, and she is still finding her foot. Although there are some blogs i love to read, hers will always be something i especially look forward to read because she has a wonderful life, one i love to see and one i get inspired from.

I hope this one will be something she will stick to-- and update regularly.


(PS. she said,she had time to write because she just broken up with her boyfriend. Lets hope she doesnt find another one so she could stick to this bloody blog,lol..*joke,of course,Ana*)

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Sending you tight hugs and beautiful moments with your sisters. 

picnic afternoon

i have promised my family and friends i need to post their pictures which i owe them. they are annoyed at me and they are literally nagging me to rush my ass off and post their pics on FB (because thats where they are).

but, i love my little corner here. i feel happy in my blog, so i cannot pass without posting these pictures here too.

i have just posted these pictures in facebook. one of the few moments i had with my sister when she was here in the uK;-)

taken last April 2010

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the sister i miss so dearly

our picnic spread

look here, no there, no,here!

my sister found the bread's shape too funny..we bought it in a rush on the way to

the picnic..no,it wasn't a freudian slip at all,LOL;-)

she was looking out in the horizon and whispering 'thanks' for being where she was..and maybe some of her dreams

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here are some more photos from the digicam

learn from me: when your beauty is 'alanganin' never look miserable.

it will just worsen it,hehe.

oh we all love,Cath

cheese,butter,crackers,chocolates,champagne, salmon and crackers..we're set

she feels happy here;-)

ok, i love this angle,LOL..i remember,i didn't want my photos taken..

oh i miss you little sister..come back na!!;-)

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PS> my sister moved her blog.. like all of us,she is still finding her blogself..

hopefully,THIS is it.

missing my sister Ana and Spitalfield market

after work tomorrow, i'm off to the city for some banking business.

and i will be on my own.

i remember the time, exactly this time last year, my sister was here enjoying the sunshine of spring with me.

i cant wait until i'm having her here again.

her and my mama. i cannot wait.


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saw these photos on my external drive.

photos from last year:

lunch at the Real Greek

at piccadilly circus

having coffee and cakes at leicester square

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sorry for these late posting,Kai. i tend to post special items quite late as i savour their meaning on my own for a long time. these photos are special because they hold so much meaning for me.

i miss you.

fighting for all the big ladies out there!

Ana has long told me about her hatred for bullying. She has been a victim of it all her life, so was i, and some of our friends were.

Ana and i were bullied for our weight (obviously), but some our friends for something else. Although some of our friends would suffer through it, but because of Ana's and my history of having transferred some different schools all throughout our lives, we endured some sort of taunts because of our 'ample-ness',hehe. But once the people knew there were more to us than added adipose, the bullying would stop. But that doesnt stop one from feeling self-conscious right? (kahit baboy, may feelings rin, huhuhu)

So she gathered two of her 'sexy' friends to sing a song or do a dance number just to prove a point. The two were reluctant as you could guess, but they got convinced by Ana in the end.

SO Ana ditched being an Emcee this year for her school's family day, to join a presentation.

Her and her group wanted to just do an intermission number, but they had no choice but to join a contest. This was the only way Ana and her "sexy" friends would get their message across.


She didnt want me to share this video but what the hell, its only her "ate's" come by this blog of mine, so it doesnt matter.


Warning: Ana said the 'yabag" /off-key parts were because she and the girls were having cough and colds for having had not enough sleep the last few days. And they couldnt hear their voices and the backing track anymore...

Whatever, its the message that counts, right?

I'm proud of my sister. She got the message across that yes, they are survivors of bullying and discrimination and criticism growing up, but at the end of the day, they are surviving and having fun.


It holds true, doesnt it? that when we're bullied and not being accepted for who we are, or have been victims of malicious criticism (as opposed to constructive one), we just have to get over it, and be strong o who we are.

embrace your junk in the trunk, girls!

Untitled from chelo aviso-stevart on Vimeo.

PS. this is in no way advocating being overweight nor not exercising (you can see the effects of NO exercise to these girls, at the middle of the song, they could hardly catch their breath,hahaha..my sister told me,she regretted having had no cardio for a long time,hahaha), but merely to grin and get over bullying, and be strong of who u are, even if you are the different mold.

Go sister(s)!

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PS. i love that my sister does not take herself so seriously and she knows how to laugh at herself..

she knows that this video will get ALOT of laughs from myself and Adrian. i hope you get to laugh at it too from an 'Ate's' point of view.

i love you,all!

the V & A kensington museum

this is a long overdue post. apologies to my sister who is so patiently waiting for this.

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April, 2010


Ana and i went to the the Victoria and Albert museum to see their display of Princess Grace Kelly's dresses during her time.

Sadly,we couldnt take photos inside the exhibition but we could take photos of the other parts of the museum. Strict sila. Its such a bummer especially when you paid for the ticket to see the exhibit but then you cant take photos, boohoo.

some artefacts from the Ming dynasty

artefacts from the Aviso dynasty,hehe (the sis, Ana) and ancient China

statues from Asia

L:the sister who is my idol. she is so loved by me adored by her Ate's and Kuya's. she's very talented too.

R: the expanse of the solarium in V&A

China, the middle kingdom.

Ana, reviewing her photos. She and i love our museum treks. We are museum-fanatics.

L: some beautiful design on the wall. the V& A is world reknowned for their changing and rotational displays.

R: the ceiling when you come in

i am not sure what this was now. but it sure did capture alot of people's attention

the grand foyer

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afterwards, an ice cream and some mini retail therapy at Fortnum and Mason

afterwards, we rushed for the tube to head to the Photographer's Gallery (another entry)..

its almost her birthday

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i've always prided on making the most of having a sister. (well, i could also say about that with regards to making the most of my cousins too,LOL).

i made sure that first of all, yes, i am figurehead "ate", yet at the same time, i'm the friend,despite the generation gap.

i'm so lucky 'coz when Ana came here, i realised and knew much much more of her and her passions. Although i have long been proud that i know her well enough to push her in the right direction, i know much more of her too to acknowledge that she cannot be pushed to any direction she doesn't want to go to.

Alot of people (who are not close to us) have this impression that Ana is quite spoiled and pampered. But what a few people only know, that yes, she is pampered and is given such material blessings by the older sister because she doesn't ask, and most often than not refuse to (maybe because i dont wait to be asked and i hate my generosity being refused to,Lol), but spoilt she is not.

She waits when she is given,and what she is given, and actually refuses lavishing her (although i still do). And she actually works hard for them too (great grades always help).

Take the recent example is her birthday this year. i wanted her to have a big party, but she refused that. So we compromised, and still she refused an over-the-top idea i had in mind (she doesn't want a fully decorated room). She said she'll make her own centrepieces if she has to (oh she likes crafty things like that).

If it were up to me, Ana would have had a debut party on her 18th worthy of someone getting married to a prince--but no,no,no. She doesn't want ballroom gowns and ballroom masquerade (coz thats basically "ate"'s idea of a party,LOL), Ana wanted more laidback, beach affair. So we compromised, she had a debut in a beach, wearing a semi- beach gown, 100 guests, catered and DJ'd, and a cotillon. (OK so she got the beach part!)


If you know her well enough she is the exact opposite of me when it comes to socializing. She is actually different to me in most things (but we always have had a bond over food and the creative arts).

She hates having to please other people and smile because she has to (because she's in a party). its not because she is antisocial, she's just normal. It's the "ate" who is overly social,haha.


And as much as she sounds all too 'gushy' and 'young' in most things, discuss serious matters with her, you get the sense youre talking to someone of your own age (the advices i get from her just sometimes makes me speechless).

It must be my fault. I always have laid on her things that i want---sometimes forgetting that this person/individual, although wholly my blood and flesh (since we both come from the same parents, and not because she's my daughter,haha), is an entirely being to herself. But she agrees to most of it though, bless her, because she wants me happy. But all this girl wants is a good time, less fuss, less drama and less 'samok'. But with me as her sister, i think she just has to contend to the fact that until i keel over and die, i still have an 'opinion' on things that she engages in, and things that involve her.


And because its almost her birthday, i just wanted to say that i really appreciate all that she is right now, and all that she will be.


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Happy birthday on Monday Kai.



You make me one happy sister.