Yo shawty, it's mah birthday ♥

Celebrated my special day with my loved ones and with food, food and more food ☺

Breakfast was tuyo, rice and nilagang saging- our usual. With the parental units.

Had late lunch with Mommy and Daddy, AD and Cio at Barcino UPTC. I wasn't able to take photos of the appetizer dish which was my favorite. Food was okay, medyo umay factor kicked in early. Coke could have helped but I was trying to cut down on my soda intake (at yung babayarin!) 

Dessert was milk tea from Coco. Last time I had milk tea from Coco was before the pandemic pa. My preferred milk tea is Macao. Anyway, I was reminded today why I'm not a fan of milk teas. Buti na lang.

Arrived in my sister's house at 4pm just to leave at 4:45 to reach Makati at 7pm in time for dinner. Dinner with my sisters, my parents and the husbands of my sisters who have husbands. Teehee. Sans AB who was in the States. Kids weren't in attendance since it was a school night. Thai food at People's Palace. Yum ♥

Everything was delicious, but my favorites were the pomelo & shrimp salad and the tom yum soup. 

pomelo & shrimp salad

kanin pa lang, ulam no *LOL*

pad thai

tom yum

I also had Thai iced tea which was way better (and way more expensive) than the one we order here at the neighborhood Thai food supplier. I think Coke would complement the food better, but I can drink Coke anytime.

The day was capped with a barista's drink from Starbucks. 

Busog. 

Tapos na birthday ko. 

The good thing is I still have something to look forward to tomorrow. THIS CAKE. 

A gift from my BFF and her sister (who's also a co-Army). Parang ayokong sirain pero ang silbi ng cake ay para kainin, entonces... magtutuos kami bukas ;) 

A birthday well-spent with family and good food ♥ I just wish myself joy, good health and financial freedom for the rest of my life- and also wish the same for my parents and my sisters and their families as well. 

I AM GRATEFUL. 

But also, dapat mag-exercise na ako bukas. 

Life Begins At 32!

And so I am 32. Just like when I turned 30 or 31, I didn't feel different. To be honest, I still feel like a teenager only with more bodily pains and aches. Haha! Which, in hindsight, is not actually funny. The only difference from now and 17 years ago is the excess poundage and of course, responsibilities and duties of being an adult. Dammit.

Claimed my annual birthday treat from AD a day earlier. Had the day perfectly planned out but mommy needed me to do this one errand which threw everything off course. I walked so much I beat my personal record- the pedometer counted 16000+ steps! And of course I was dead tired from all the walking I did and it was only 11:30 in the morning.

Had lunch here and I. LOVED. IT.

Ycel's home from Dubai and since this is the only common "free" day we had, she joined AD and I for lunch. So we had a booboo and ordered almost that has shrimps in it and Ycel is allergic to shrimps. 

pomelo salad

prawn cakes

EVERYTHING'S YUMMY! I was in Thai food heaven☺ Everything- the prawn cakes, pomelo salad, beef rendang, cinnamon pork ribs! And to think I was hesitant at first to try the cinnamon pork ribs just because it had cinnamon. You see, I dislike cinnamon- the taste, the scent- so I avoid everything cinnamon. But thank God I mustered enough courage to try the dish and it was scrumptious. Didn't taste like cinnamon at all. 

After lunch, spent time with Ycel (which she spent shopping) in my favorite store, Landmark. I also introduced her to the wonderful world of Uniqlo from where I buy my uniform- shorts- but I only buy them when they're on promo. I was willing to make paiwan in Makati to spend more time but she had another get-together to go to so it was adieu for us. Well, my feet were also already killing me so I guess blessing in disguise.

The day of reckoning~ birthday greetings from autobots. Harhar

This sort-of personalized birthday Google homepage is so cool!

But of course, there's also one from Facebook. Papatalo ba siya?

And one from my alma mater, quoting Dr. Seuss

And of course a few greetings from friends on Facebook and through text. This year, I got plenty of bags for gifts. Birthday money from AB. Shirts from AD. Fudamchi from AC. The kids made me birthday cards~

So cute! Joaquim even gave me three stuffed toys/keychains which are actually his. That boy is so sweet and I hope he stays that way forever. 

And this I got from daddy- DINUGUAN!

Well, technically, it was from daddy but since he's sick, manang was the one who made it and the timpla just wasn't the same. It wasn't "anemic," like daddy's recipe. But it was delicious pa rin. I didn't want to share it with the guests nga eh, haha! But oh well, I have to share the calories. 

And oh, I bought my own birthday cake. Pathetic ba? Haha.

Default birthday cake from Becky's Kitchen- Swiss Chocolate Cake. I knew I'd be able to use that aqua sprinkles I bought from Chefs and Bakers. Just look at my cake- so pretty ♥

So yeah, I pretty much enjoyed my 32nd birthday with lotsa food and great company. It was also our first time to see Michelle again after her cancer came back. I missed her and our bonding over Korean dramas and baduy Tagalog romcoms and last Saturday we had a nice time catching up on our Korean series. 

But wait.. there's more! A day is never enough to celebrate my birthday. I need a month. Haha. So will be divi-tripping on Monday to buy supplies and I think I know what I'm buying with the birthday money AB gave me- an external hard drive! ☺

Gaaaahd I really feel time is running out and I'm wasting too much time but then again I don't know what's important in this life. Do I put importance on my happiness by being more carefree and less worrisome with regard to my finances and "career," or work like crazy towards my goal of being a landlady of leisure? Decisions, decisions... Well, siguro I could say that my birthday gift to myself is that Sunlife life insurance investment. Frakkin grown-up concerns.

So here's to the start of my 32nd year and here's hoping I see either New York City or Korea before I turn 33. 

Surprise!

Planned a surprise birthday for my sister's 40th birthday. I admit it wasn't my pakana because although I may be sweet thoughtful enough to think about it, my financial means are sort of hindering me to do so. The suggestion came from AB and AD (who were both in NY at the time). To cut the story short, napag-utusan lang po ako. Well, I still had to give a little monetary contribution but in the scheme of patak-patak, 'ambon' lang ang sa akin. But of course I also contributed my kick-ass "organizing and coordinating" powers. But really, I reckon surprise parties are easier to organize nowadays because of technology. Thank God for text messaging and (and Mark Zuckeberg) for Facebook. Well, that and the fact that she was away from home for an entire week.


Upon finalizing our restaurant reservation, it was on to information dissemination and the decors! Another reason to thank God for the technology that is the Internet- free tutorials on how to make paper pompom decors. AHLAVET! If there were no time and supply constraints, I could've spent the entire night making pompoms and cutting letters. I even attempted to make paper medallions but, alas, I only bought three sheets of cartolina paper and I think I needed at least two cartolina papers to make one medallion. Boo! But seriously, this is so addicting! I swear I need to find a rich husband so I could just stay in the attic-turned-craft-room making paper pompoms the entire day.

So, these cute (according to me) decors were almost unnoticeable when we set them up in the venue:

i knew it. i should've made more paper pompoms :-/

So anyway this was how the day transpired:

We asked one of her friends, E, if she could invite AC for coffee after lunch. We needed her to leave the house so we then could leave the house without her suspecting anything. Suffice to say, we were late to the agreed time on the invitation which was 2:30pm. We had to set everything up in a rush. Nakaraos rin naman. Haha.

"Kay tagal kang hinintay," sabi ng mga pagkain.

After a little less than hour, we gave E the go signal to bring the birthday celebrant in. And the rest, as they say, is history. Bahahaha! I believe na-surprise naman talaga si ate. After the has gotten over the shock- time to eat!

as long as there's food on my plate...

Everything was scrumptious but my favorites were the Spinach & Cheese Wonton with Onion Mayo Dip, Tapa Pasta and the Vigan Longganisa Pasta. V bought a Becky's Kitchen Swiss Chocolate Cake for AC but unfortunately, I wasn't able to eat some.

The theme for my sister's 40th party is... Hello Kitty. Hahaha! I'm glad AB and AD thought of giving AC a surprise party because I know she felt special and very loved. I should know because my sisters threw me one when I turned 18 and even if most of my guests back then were just college acquaintances and not the real friends I have until now (it was first year, first term). Parang Hallmark lang yan... you know they care enough to send the very best. Hehe.

So there, I now know I can organize surprise parties and if there's one lesson learned out of this experience, it's that PEOPLE NEVER RSVP.

what day is it today?

It's...

Kitty Kat's birthday! Heypi birthday Kitty Kat, ang remembrance ng T-party: SG edition.

I'm already 31. 

Ack.

But whatever, I do not feel 31 or 30 or 28 even. 

Peg ko lang si Taylor Swift- I'm feeling twenty-threeeee two....

source: perezhilton

In preparation of official onset of my fourth decade in this world, I got my nails did last Tuesday and a haircut yesterday. I wanted a short 'do but the stylists didn't want to do it. No one wants to cut my hair short. They all like my wavy 'do (parang naka-digital perm daw) and if I cut it short, like above the shoulder, mega-fly away daw ang eksena. Since they (should) know these things better than I do, I went with what they suggested. They also suggested that I use hair product to tame my tresses and since I'm in a gastusera mode yesterday, I gave in.

And oh, I also got myself an eye cream. Dapat labanan ang wrinkles ;) And hopefully, this hair product will do help tame my messy 'do. Sabi ni beki hairstylist, nasa uso naman ang messy na buhok. Hindi niya lang alam na nasa uso nako fifteen years ago pa at isa rin ako sa mga nagsimula ng no-comb revolution. Ano'ng paki niyo sa long hair ko?

So anyway, pre-birthday celeb yesterday with AD. She treated me to ramen for lunch yesterday at Santouka. It was okay. Not really a fan of ramen and I think I just reached my saturation point with katsu or maybe I was not feeling well yesterday. Dessert was at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. I had ice-blended Moroccan Mint Tea. Loved it. In my 31 years of existence, I found the secret to happiness~

True dat.

I go to Starbucks not for anything else but their mocha frap and when AD said she wants CBTL, I was a little sad because I never really liked any of their coffee. The only beverage I drink from there is caramel macchiato and I don't even like it that much. Just to cut the story short, I was delighted & surprised with their ice-blended Moroccan Mint Tea. Now I have an alternate to Starbucks' mocha frap :)

I really don't have expectations for this year. I didn't even have a countdown. And although birthdays tend to suck when one gets older because there are less gifts (ha!), I still get the best gifts a girl (girl?) could wish for- last year I got a Kindle from AB and this year, Juningning treated me to a Linkin Park concert and AD gave me shorts from Uniqlo and you know that shorts are one of my favorite things right now because they're the only ones that fit #MeanGirlsreference And oh, my nephews gave me Coke and chips for my birthday. That and unlimited singing of 'Happy Birthday.' Ano pa nga ba ang mahihingi ko?

May sagot ako diyan. Daddy's dinuguan and Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust Pizza. 

Kidding aside, thank You Lord for another year and I hope for many more awesome years to come. I've had my ups and downs but I could say that I'm happy where I am right now and there's nowhere to go but up. I wish for more projects to come, better health (fatty liver begone!) (and I wanna get off my meds! Metformin and pills are making me super sungit) and many more blessings. I hope I also finally get to go on that New York trip this year, before I turn 32, cos GG's been off TV for almost a year. Time is of the essence, people! But first, gotta get my ass to apply for a visa first. And here's hoping I get one. 

Happy birthday to me ♥

70

Yesterday we celebrated my dad's 70th birthday. Wow. 70. Seventy. That's an awful lot of candles to put on one's cake. My dad was 39 when I was born so that makes him a father to me for almost 31 years. That long, huh?

Daddy cooked dinuguan for his birthday lunch. Siempre siya na nga may birthday, siya pa namalengke ng ingredients at siya pa ang nagluto. Yan ang daddy ko- unconditional love sa amin. And he never made sumbat to us, not even once, of all the hardships and all the work he had to do for us. That is why we love him so so so much.

Seventy. The number actually scares me. I guess you already know why. I am just praying really really hard for his health and safety, his and my mom's. Hindi lang namin masyado feel pero our parents are already old. As in lola-lola proportions. Pero dahil itim pa ang mga buhok nila, maraming salamat sa Indian-brand hair henna, hindi masyado halata. Everyday I am just thankful that we are still complete.

Feliz cumple a mi padre! Fervently praying and wishing for MORE years to come. We love you so much ☺

Mommy's Birthday
The family celebrated mommy's birthday a day earlier. It was celebrated a day in advance since AC was supposedly going on a trip to Vietnam and would not be here on May 2nd (today). Originally, it was planned to be a lunch date at Trinoma; However, since my daddy just arrived from the province, we had to postpone it for later so he could rest even for a while.

We were never really fond of big fiestas. We just had a family dinner at Conti's with one of my aunts. The food was really, really good but their service really, really sucks. As in. They would get our plates from the table without even asking if we're done. While I was reaching for the cake, the waiter got my Coke can without even asking, semi-shoving my arm aside. It took forever before the food was served and the most bastos thing was when they gave the bill to my mom. My mom was still looking and double-checking the order when all of a sudden, the waitress abruptly took the receipt from my mother's hand upon learning that it's my sister who's paying. I saw her do it right before my very eyes and I couldn't believe what I saw. Good thing my father didn't see what that waitress did or else, nasermonan siya. Good thing the food was really good and it compensated for the terrible service.

Market Research
AD and I were late for dinner since we conducted a little market research on the side. She actually had a meeting scheduled at 4pm but we managed to squeeze in a nail spa visit before that. The nail spa was located at Timog. It was a neighborhood nail spa, a lot similar like ours, but their neighborhood is much more upscale and encompasses a much larger area.

The place was small and a little cramped. I guess it's their way of maximizing space. It was also a little noisy since their staffs kept chatting even when there were customers around. The seats were cushy but they're not conducive to relaxation. What I liked was the fact that they use imported polishes such as OPI, Essie and China Glaze. I also loved the body scrub they used on me, I think it's that Tropical Fusion schnitz. It smells soooo good. *idea*

I really need a better air-conditioning system. Or maybe I just need to transfer it somewhere where there's better air circulation?

BTW, something in here made me smile and proud of what I currently do.

Ano ba talaga, koya?
Actually, more of Ano ba talaga, father dear?

And so we tackle again the subject of whether or not I should go to law school. I managed to escape law school a few years back and just when I thought that my father has accepted the fact that I will never be a lawyer, we're back to square one.

Just tonight, over dinner... the topic of me going to law school was reopened. And now I'm torn whether or not I should go back. A part of me feels guilty of being not able to fulfill my father's dream for me and do just that, fulfill my father's dream I mean. Personally, I don't want anything to do with the legal profession. I just don't think I'm cut for that type of job. I can't even get my 5-peso change, 'no!

According to my father, I am taking the path of least resistance. Honestly and sadly, it's true. I'm not proud of it and I'm frustrated about it. And so I'm giving myself one year to prove that I don't need a title to be successful. If after one year and I'm still an aimless soul, maybe I'll give law school a try. Wow! Pressure on myself to do good... What to do? What to do? Kailangan ng mataimtimang pagdarasal at pagninilay-nilay ito. I need to prove myself. TO ALL OF THEM!

I need to talk to Joji about this, ask questions, etc.

Vintage Vanessa
I'm excited for Vanessa Carlton's Manila Tour! And so I'm getting re-acquainted with her songs just so hindi ako lost when I watch her perform on May 10.

I've been doing some research~ bio, songs and lyrics and recent activities. Apparently, she's currently into vintage. I'm not sure if she's the one into vintage or that's just the theme they adopted for her current album. Either way, I love it! Check out her Nolita Fairytale music video and you'll see what I mean ;)
I loved her songs ever since she started. I'm just not fond of listening to an entire album kaya hindi ko alam lahat ng songs niya. I'm more of a Top-40 kind of girl, I rely too much what's on radio and the music channels. But I know that I liked all of her songs that were released commercially. Her songs and that of Michelle Branch. Sila ang medyo magkapareho ng repertoire.

Super excited!!!!!!!!!! I wish she'll sing her songs from before and not just the songs that are in her current album. E-X-C-I-T-E-D A-K-O!

Hopeful.

Juno, Ycel and I watched Vantage Point last Saturday at Gateway. Ycel pointed out that that was the first time that we watched movie or did anything in another mall other than Robinsons Ermita. Going to Gateway has its own share of pros and cons. Number one pro is the cinemas! Robinsons Ermita charges P130 for a movie while Gateway charges P141. And the disparity between the two cinemas is soooo huge! RP cinemas smell like your lola's baul and cinema seats aren't comfortable. While Gateway cinemas smell like popcorn and seats are cushiony-soft. But what I like about RP is its hugeness, most especially now that they have opened their new wing. In Gateway, you can finish going around the mall in mere minutes! So after the movie, we must have went around the mall at least four times... walang magawang iba. Ycel treated us to lunch since it is her birthday today... Happy Birhday Lola! Maraming salamat sa pakain. Hehe.

And now about the movie... Vantage Point.
Ever since I saw the movie's trailer, I already wanted to watch it. I originally planned to watch the movie alone like what I did with 27 Dresses. Good thing was instead of watching it alone, I got to watch it with my friends.

The movie was good. I enjoyed it but it left Ycel obsessing about the movie and its inconsistencies. Perosnally, I think the movie could have been better had they done without the "rewinding" effect. Medyo makulit kasi. Juno even joked that they were going to show what happened from different vantage points of all the people in the plaza. Parusa... I also kind of predicted the twist. Masakit lang tanggapin na si Matthew Fox ang traidor... gwapo pa naman. What I also liked about it was that it was set in Spain. And I still have to read the subtitles... pathetic, for someone who's supposed to be in nivel 18 of the spanish language course.

***

After our movie date, I had to go to Shangri-La Mall to watch the Wadaiko Drums of Japan. It was good but it was also boring. As in towards the end of the event, my eyelids were getting heavier. When the event ended, we thought we would be able to go home and sleep but there were some change of plans and we ended up spending 3 more hours...

Waiting for our sister to finish doing what she had to do, we hung out at Starbucks and had coffee. But coffee doesn't actually make me any less sleepier. We must have waited for an hour and half at Starbucks when my cousin asked if we could go somewhere where he could have some beer. The nearest bar in the area is Watering Hole. Turned out a show band will be performing that night. If the P100 entrance fee wasn't consummable, I'd say give back our money. The band wasn't worth my hundred bucks. First, they weren't presentable. The lead male singer looks like the Nathaniel character of the movie Enchanted. The lead female singer looked like Geneva Cruz but way, way worse. She was wearing band-aid mico-mini skirt and the female back-up was wearing uber short-shorts... okay na sana only they weren't toned enough to get away with it. Oh please... cellulite-galore! I know I ain't perfect... I have cellulites, stretch marks, etc, but I don't go wearing short skirts and shorts for all the world to see.

So medyo na-entertain naman kami. Haha!

***

Napasubo ako...

The Cooperación Prensa de Cadíz (I think..) is looking for their new becarios. My classmates and I signed up for it. And so we showed up today for the briefing chorva. Mierda! Hindi kinaya ng powers ko... Nanliit ako bigla. Nosebleed na the entire morning. As in, I couldn't absorb anything. I don't think I'm ready for anything like this and earlier today, I decided to back out. But James and Kosh goaded me to go on... kung hindi man matanggap, at least I tried and certificate din 'yun. Kosh said that it was my pride that was making me back out. She has a point. I think I withdrew from law school because of pride (among other things). So now I won't back out... but I'm so so so scared of this undertaking.

I just hope that I'll get through this alive... I just have to attend tomorrow until Friday and the culminating event will be on Saturday. Sana lang hindi ako panghinaan ng loob.. Aja Aja! Fighting!

And so I have to go now and do my assignment for tomorrow. I have to do this well or else nakakahiya...

I love birthdays

What's the perk of having lots of family members and relatives? Lots of birthday celebrations.

It was Ate Bam's 34th birthday yesterday. We had dinner at Pasto at El Pueblo. My favorite was the crostini with spinach and cheese dip.

My mom is so kuripot. Imagine, she brought her own coke so she wouldn't have to order drinks anymore! Haha. But she still didn't get to do what she has originally planned since we were all against it. But she was able to sneak in one though.

Next birthday would be Dodoy's on March 24. Goody! Another celebration. Another lunch/dinner. My tummy's gonna be happy!

It's Juno's birthday today! Happy Birthday Juniper!

Whoopeee!

At last... I am able to blog again! DSL was problematic this past week due to the earthquake in Taiwan. And my schedule last week was pretty hectic, too.

First of all, Happy, Happy Birthday Lola Christmas!
Sorry if I wasn't able to post it here right away, but I did text you, right? I make it a point to greet my friends on their birthday kahit hindi 12 am en punto (tulad ni Juno, hehe). I was touched by your thank you on your blog... I honestly didn't really feel appreciated by my friends but you have proven otherwise. Thanks so much!

The only blog-worthy thing that happened the past week was we went to Fiesta Resort & Casino in Antipolo. It has a nice view~ overlooking Laguna de Bay. Apparently, the World Pyro Olympics can be seen there which I have got to see.

This was a first for me. I already know how to play pusoy dos, tong-its and mahjong but we never really placed bets so technically it is not considered gambling. My sisters and I tried our luck at the slot machines. Piso-piso lang ang bet. I won 12o pesos during my first try! We tried our luck on the other slot machines... but to no avail. Then we tried those big slot machines that has P100 minimum and actually won P400! All in all, we won P900 but since we each shelled out P100, our return-on-investment is only P400!

It was so much fun that my sisters and I are planning for a trip back there and it's only 45-minutes away. Sugarol-in-the-making? I don't think so... sana. Hahaha!!!

not so happy birthday

It was my birthday yesterday. It wasn't really a happy one. More like a typical day... daming ka-bad trip-an. I did try to make it happy for me. But hell, it it didn't work.

I got nice gifts though. I got 2 shirts, a magic wallet and Paolo Coelho's El Zahir. My mom gave me a religious meditation book. Ya. Okay. I think she thinks I'm possessed by evil spirits. Okay lang kasi alam ko hindi totoo. Nyahaha. Yay! Daddy is coming home on Saturday... for my birthday. And before I forget, I got myself a screen guard for my phone... for my birthday. How bongga is that? %(

I bought pancit from Ado's to treat the girls at the spa. We had dinner at Lasa. The food was good especially the baked tahong and crispy pata. But the shitty part was when mommy decided to unearth all the drama and talk about it over my birthday dinner.

I just wanna say I miss my fuchsia birks. They're missing and I really, really miss it. Boohoo...