My constant joining of team Val’s outing gained me the friendship of their member’s wives. The first team building I joined in Boljoon gave me a chance to meet Honey, Jaja’s wife, and Mae, now Mark’s wife. Chantal, Caesar’s wife, arrived in Cebu just a week earlier than me and we shared the same house in Opon. After few months, Chantal with her husband, moved to her sister’s house also in Mactan. Each time the team planned an outing, dining out or just hanging around, the four of us would always be there to mingle together until we earned the name “first ladies”.
However, for team Val’s last team building in Bohol, Honey, Mae, and Chantal failed to make it. Thus, just the night before we left for Bacolod on August 19th, we tried to free each other’s schedule and got a chance to meet again.
I thought Chantal couldn’t make it since she just got a job in Watson’s SM City branch and her shift ends at 9:30 pm. Honey and Mae could only stay until 9 pm since they have their kids to attend to. Honey thought it was a girls’ night out and she had different plans on mind. Hmm… Of course, we had our husbands along.
Jaja and Honey surprised us a dinner at Big Mao in Ayala Terraces. Val and I were hesitant before that since we knew budget were tight for everyone that was why we suggested a KKB – Kanya kanyang bayad (pay your own meals). Mae arrived a little while then Mark came last. We shared latest updates of each other’s lives while feasting on the meals before us.
let’s eat!
Honey wouldn’t call it a night yet. She wanted us to spend more time together. After that gathering, it would be hard to find another time to meet each other again for each one has his or her own commitments. So we continued chatting at Mooon Cafe just across Big Mao. Honey ordered for a 3-liter tube of beer for the guys and her.
cheers!
It seemed that nobody wanted to leave. Jaja could take a leave for his shift that night and Mark was on a rest day. For Val and I? We had to leave early morning to catch the ro-ro vessel before noon. We couldn’t afford to stay another day in Cebu since most of our things – kitchenwares, LPG tank, ref, tv, etc. – were left for Chantal and Caesar and it would cost us more to buy foods outside.
When the boys were about to finish their beer, Caesar and Chantal made it the last minute to meet everyone. Right then and there we got out our cameras and took some shots for souvenirs before we bade our farewells.
the first ladies
we’ll miss you!
