20 September 2008, our 20th wedding monthsary, our golden month.

If there’s such a thing as a golden year (it is when your birth date is the same as your age for that certain year), I’m making our 20th month on the 20th of September our golden month.

Last Saturday, the Husband surprised me with a movie :). After our lunch party with friends and afternoon tea by the lake, the Husband insisted that we stop by the shopping mall before going home. I thought we’d just have our usual weekly coffee date.

Before we went to the cafe, I exused myself and went to the ladies’ room and when I got out, I found the Husband still outside the cafe and said “Let’s watch WALL-E, it’s starting in 5 minutes”. I was like, “No kidding!!”

So that’s how we celebrated our 20th month. 🙂

And because it is our 20th month, let me answer Nikki’s question a couple of months ago: “How did you two meet?”

Ours was the classic story of enemies turned friends. We used to work in the same bank in Makati, he from the Marketing Support Dept and me from Training Dept. In 2001, Training Department was the only department that had a multi-media projector (MMP) and so all departments, including Chris’ department, borrowed from us. At that time, I was also in-charge of training facilities and equipments so whoever needed to borrow an equipment should coordinate with me.

Everytime Chris’ department borrows the MMP, he would ALWAYS drop by our office during lunchtime—and of course, that made me hate him. And so everytime he would disturb me in the middle of my lunch break, I’d lend him the MMP but I would be very hostile (as in nagsu-sungit ako ever) to him. Basically, that’s how we interacted at the office. And everytime we passed by each other, deadma ako!

In February 2002, I got invited by one of the Marketing Support’s guys whom I’m friends with. Ojie said “the gang” will have drinks at Decades (in Makati Cinema Square) after work. I asked, “Sino yung “the gang”? and he replied, “Tayo-tayo lang na taga-Head Office.” And so I went. Lo and behold, Chris was there. Eto na.

Me: Bakit nandito yan?

Ojie: Barkada yan.

Me: Kaaway ko yan.

Ojie: Okay lang yan. Bandido, si Ibyang. Ibyang, si Bandido.

And that was it. We HAD to be friends.

Celebrating our 2nd SyotAnniversary in Baguio (December 2004)

Eventually, our gimiks became a regular thing so little by little, Chris and I became good friends and each other’s confidant. We’ve seen each other get over heartaches at work, life and love…shared milestones, frustrations, dreams, childhood memories, kalokohans and office tsismis. From kwek-kweks, fishballs, KFC, McDo to Starbucks sessions. Before we knew it, “magic” happened. So here we are today, now husband and wife, but still the best of friends.

Marriage is a challenging thing, it is never easy…there are hurdles that will take you sometimes by surprise. Everyday you learn something new about your partner. One moment you’re fighting with each other, then kissing and making up the next.

It is crazy…it is one great bumpy ride…but it is fun when you have your best friend and partner holding your hand thru it all.