This is how I spent International Women's Day

When Ate Cess and I had our mini powwow last year, Belle posted this in the comments section:

click to zoom in :)

And what do you know, that next time really happened! I finally met Belle in person after about 5 years of online friendship!

A little back-story is in order. Five years ago when I was still in college, I met Belle and Ate Cess through the now defunct Seventeen Philippines' website's message board - Seventeen Sigaw (very much like GIRL Talk and Teentalk). 

before Facebook and my Blogspot, this used to be my favorite online hang-out

Sigaw means "shout" in English. Not necessarily a bad kind of shout though; more like a shout for positive self-expression

I was in this message board for hours on end, gaining a Senior status (depends on the number of posts) for posting 5,447 messages ever since I became a member in 2006. Through the site, I have met lots of cool girls who have become my instant friends. My posts lessened when I started working, but I kept in touch with my girls via our Multiply and old Friendster accounts. Too bad Summit Media also closed down the site when they discontinued publishing the mag's local franchise. Now we Sigaw girls continue the friendship we started in the board via Facebook and Twitter. We text, we read each other's blogs, we update every one on what's going on with our lives, we miss our sisters who've fallen out the loop. Divided by distance but bridged by technology, we are REAL FRIENDS.

I was only able to meet some of them from 2008's Candy Fair. I was supposed to meet more last year but Typhoon Ondoy (literally!) rained on our parade.

End of back-story! :)

Because my trip to Bicol had been cancelled, I looked desperately for other ways to spend my two-weeks vacation. Belle responded to my FB status asking if I would be free last Monday, and I was! She hails from Tacloban you see, and that's a one-hour plane ride from Manila. Her Mom had a convention in Cavite so she asked to come and then went straight to Manila! You can just imagine how excited I was! We set the specifics - SM Megamall, 10:30AM - and invited some of our other Sigaw girls. The others had work and couldn't file for VL on such short notice; Jazzy and Kaiye were supposed to go but something came up.

I was super happy when I finally met her! She is even thinner in person, and she also said the same of me :D

pretty Belle :)

visit her blog here

When we were looking for a place to eat lunch, Ate Cess texted us to ask where we were. Her office is actually just near Megamall, and she said she can ask her boss for an extension of her lunchbreak so she can see us! We waited for her at Kenny Roger's where we took some pics.

Aren't we pretty? lol

When Ate Cess arrived, she ushered us to Starbucks and treated us to frappes.

bonding over stories and choco cream chip frappes

I love these girls :)

I love that even though it was only my second time to meet Ate Cess and first time to meet Belle, we were bursting with so many stories we wanted to share. There was never an awkward moment with them, so awesome :)

Ate Cess had to go back to the office so that left Belle and me again. We were still too full with the lunch and coffee we had but who can resist

Dairy Queen?

Blizzards - she had Choco Chips while I had Brownie Temptation

Besides, it's not like we have to diet. Nyahaha.

Belle and I continued our bonding over shopping for new underwear for both of us and new bag for her. She's a sucker for bags and books :) She had to leave at about 5pm though because she had to meet with her Mom in Mall of Asia. I then waited for my bestfriend Jerome so we can go home together as he works near Megamall.

Jerome holding their tickets to the Paramore concert which was tonight btw

I hope we can get to do this again soon! And I really, really, really hope my blogfriends and I can do this too. What a fabulous way to spend International Women's Day, right? :)

*for my non-Filipino blogfriends, Ate is a Filipino word pronounced ah-te. It means older sister. Ate Cess and I are not really related, but I call her that because I treat her like an older sister I never had. :)