Team Building in Longbeach Campground (Bin Majid)

At the end of January, our team headed to Ras Al Khaimah for our first ever overnight and legitimate team-building exercise. I say legitimate because usually our team building gigs were comprised of house parties, dinners or bowling tournaments but now we actually have a facilitator, a schedule and everything! Talk about serious LEVELING UP ^^ 

Since for most of us it will be the first time going to Ras Al Khaimah which was 2 hours away from Abu Dhabi, we had to carefully plan the logistics to and fro. And as it's not officially company funded - we had to take account everybody's current budget and meticulously canvas the various rent a car shops throughout Abu Dhabi just to get the best deals. So meticulous that I have to dedicate another post for this HEHEHE

Anyway, what sold us on the location was that it will not just be a team building activity, but a glamping one as well :) Glamping sooo fancyyy CHECKKKK!

Check-in time is the same as other hotels, 2PM, so our call time in AUH was at 9AM. We'll have enough time for breakfast, lunch and any other stops in between.

Entrance

The list of activities are endless!

Love the view from here

Messy view from inside

Our tents were conveniently stationed right in front of the dining area, near the washrooms and just in front of the BEACH. Wooo!

Adult swimming pool area/bar

The A Team

We stayed in the authentic deluxe tent which was good for 3 people. There's 1 king-sized and 1 single mattress and free toiletries included. Upon check-in we verified with reception the number of people who will be staying per tent so we can get towel cards per person. Half-board is included automatically as well, so you won't have to worry about breakfast and dinner :)

Movie night at Wakanda

However, since we were mature and ultimate professionals, we settled in to completing our Day 1 exercises while sneaking in glances towards the inviting beach and to everyone who were having fun around us HEHEHE :)

Kidding aside, we had a fantastic facilitator, Dr. Judith Bacarro, who is truly the most positive and encouraging person I have ever met. She's actually our manager's mother in law, and we were so lucky that she was currently on vacation so we were able to invite her.  Please click on the link above to know more about, as it's truly a blessing and an honor to be able to meet and learn from her.

Sharing

Team exercises

Interpretative dancing

Sunrise yoga was cancelled so we had our own yoga session courtesy of Tita Mel

Sunrise slash kiddie yoga

Proud to say we won!

I didn't really do anything, just stood around to shout YOURS everytime ^^

Hi Tita Judith!

The A Team with the manager and organizer

Group photo 2

Bonfire until midnight!

FUN FUN FUN!

Over-all it was such a positive and educational experience. As our numbers started to grow, (we began only with 3 people) the exercise helped us not just to appreciate each other's strengths and flaws but on how to use these qualities to bond our group closer for a better, more effective and self-reliant team.

Moreover, being in such a distant place also gave nobody a choice to go home or to get distracted with clingy significant others ^^ We were able to focus further on the tasks at hand, on each other, and the wonderful place we were in.

Sunset at Ras Al Khaimah

I'll leave you with this video, which sums up just how fun the experience was for us:

Ta!

Finally A ---!

Still a part of the Wedding Preps Series though :)

After 4 months of requirements, seminars and wedding jitters (SRSLY), finally had the budgetarian civil ceremony slash elopement over and done with!

Firstly, we didn't want to make a fuss out of our civil union because the D Day festivities was already planned to a T later this year, along with all our funds. We only did it to cut down on the documents we'll be processing back home as I mentioned on an earlier post and as I realized ~ it's actually much better to have an intimate affair where the people attending are only your nearest and dearest. In our case, watching our small family and my colleagues hitting it off during our makeshift reception was really fun and heartwarming. We didn't get to do the beer pong but at least we were able to do the GOT S8 E6 viewing party (yes it's actually part of our program HEHE) and bond over our personal takes on it.

I watched a few vlogs as well on civil weddings on Youtube and I really liked the simplicity of it ~ in Japan all you have to do is just bring your family register and personal seal with your significant other and it's done! I watched Camie Juan again and her NY civil wedding (had this on loop one jitters-filled weekend) was so straightforward and simple and it made me feel that despite everything, it boils down to just the both of you and your commitment to each other.

DIYed the invites on Word and sent them out a week before the ceremony.

We received a call on the same week of our scheduled solemnization for the actual timing. Because of Ramadan, we were asked to come at 1:15 PM but we went there at least 20 minutes before in case we needed to do something else before the ceremony. Turned out to be a good call, final checks on the marriage contracts had to be done before we were asked to take our places in front of the podium.

The ceremony was presided over by the vice consul. We were 15 couples in total and I was the one wearing the simplest dress out of all the brides (Thank you Namshi!) which I got on sale for 71 AED (or 1,000 PHP). My sister and cousin signed off as witnesses while his sister was the designated P/V + chauffeur for the day.

Paying it forward: Enjoy 15% discount at Namshi. Use coupon code RFBCRAQ on your first purchase, just click on the images below and start shopping :) (Pics below from Namshi)

Backless ng slight! Pak! Sana by December ganyan na din ako kapayat! Pak!

I'm 5'1 so the mini dress became knee length which was fine because you have to be decent inside the embassy + RAMADAN. J just wore his Sunday best and luckily, his belt from aliexpress matched his shoes so he looked so snazzyyyy

We bought his shoes from Payless for only 60 AED! Imagine! AND it's MEMORY FOAM :)
My black strappies are my regular work shoes from SHEIN.

Bouquet from Lulu :) at 21 AED.

Fun after the ceremony ^^ We don't do adult affairs well HEHEHE

Over-all, the event lasted from 3 hours and off we went to prep for the boodle fight/reception.

Here's J, my eyebrows + me

DIY BOODLE FIGHT

Our simple yet sumptuous feast

(L-R)

Tinolang Manok with Papaya

Torta at Pritong Talong

Pritong Tilapia

Steamed Kangkong + Okra + Lorin's Bagoong

Adobong Manok

Buttered Shrimp

Ensaladang Kamatis at Itlog na Maalat

Tuna Sisig

&

Walang Kamatayang Unli-Rice

We booked a 3 fully furnished bedroom apartment, or should I say, my colleagues booked it as a gift to us ~ SHUKRAN sisters!

The day after: Me (slightly hung over) + J (fresh as a daisy) + my regular eyebrows :)

To think we started off as just me having this mammoth (WOTD) crush on him back in 4th year HS for his drafting + calculus wizardry and now we have officially tied the knot ~ HIHIHI landi! Chos! Lakas maka- A Love so Beautiful ♥

Now we can concentrate on our balik alindog program in peace. 

Thanks for the read!

Officially Mrs. A ♥

I Voted!

Overseas Voting for NLE 2019

Time to do our part for the country!

When I did my passport renewal back in 2017, they mandated voter registration as well so I'm finally able to exercise my right to vote this year! :) Never too late yo!

Kaso Dubai, pero whatodooo at least I get to vote.

To view the complete list of senators & partylists, please click on the link 

But first, make sure you're on the list of registered voters by going to the nearest embassy's website and checking your name. Since I'm registered in Dubai, here's the link to their site:

http://www.dubaipcg.dfa.gov.ph/

Let's do our research and don't sell out :) Search their track records!

Voting is from April 13-May 13 - below is the schedule so you know when to go - just don't leave it till the last minute!