A belated birthday post

I just had to document the day, even though this entry gets posted two days after.

I've always wanted to celebrate a birthday in a different country. This year I got to do it! It wasn't anything grand. It was enough that I got to spend the whole day with my husband and empower myself in an unfamiliar place by "acquiring" an identity: on this day, I was able to withdraw money from my bank. I also became a member of the public library: I got my very own library card, was able to check out a few items, and reserve another bunch!

It was really more symbolic than anything else. I guess it was my way of asserting my existence. Away from the familiar, devoid of the usual, taken-for-granted security among family and friends, this was my way of conquering the impending loneliness and homesickness, which was threatening to take over the day before. In Manila, one would dread responding to text and birthday greetings for the sheer number of them coming in (that day I received lots of text messages and FB greetings from people who mattered to me); or, we'd try to escape groups of people who we think might be expecting you to throw a little party with a box pizza or a bucket of chicken.

Here, I was fascinated to realize that, no one I knew was going to go through the trouble of asking, kelan ang kainan at inuman? I wouldn't bump into anyone in the street who would remember it was my birthday. A couple of times I was hoping the librarians would put two and two together and realize that my birth date on my library application form was the same day as my membership day. I actually fantasized one of them would call out to the people in the library and they'd all jump up and wish me a happy birthday. All I wanted was someone to acknowledge me. But they didn't.

If it wasn't for Benc, I'd be celebrating by myself. Literally. But because I was with him, it was more than enough. He bought a bottle of wine, cheese, and grapes and we stayed up and drank at 12 midnight on May 14. In the afternoon we had brunch of yummy yiros and chips at the Central Market, then watched Angels and Demons, talked about life over a cup of coffee and handfuls of chocolate-covered fruits and nuts, then snuggled against the settling cold. It was a good day, and I claimed it. It was a way of reinforcing my presence for another year and toasting a previous one well-spent.

Birthpedida

This is how they called the surprised party my family and friends threw for me on Tuesday night. It was superbly done, from the coordination down to the final surprise of the evening.

My dad lured me to Ortigas that night on the pretext that we were to meet a potential client who wanted an AVP made for their pre-school. It was very well delivered. He even met Karen (my business partner) and me at Breton at Podium and small-talked with us about the future of kids attending progressive schools, the pre-school's tax problems, etc. He even stressed me a little by saying he has to pass by my aun't house to pick up some papers. I told him, but traffic is terrible! Why don't we just pick up the papers after? I swear, my dad is such a good actor. He even said stuff like, I need to review it before we file taxes tomorrow, etc.

Dang! I was even starting to get irritated because I don't like being late for client meetings. But Papa was persistent. I called Jhun, the driver to pass by for us, and then he brought us to Tita Acay's. When we got there, Papa alighted and entered the condo, and I ranted to Karen and Jhun. Then I receive a call from Tita Acay, telling me to come up too. The guard asked me to sign in, and curioously enough, I saw Val and Donna's names, and I wondered, what coincidence could have brought them here? The guard told me to head to the roof deck. It was then that I heard a light commotion.

When I got to the final step leading up to the deck, I heard people scream, "Surprise!" and for a moment I was disoriented. I was expecting just my family, but there were faces of friends whom I hadn't seen for a while (albeit online). I was dumbfounded! Then suddenly the realization that this party was actually for me sank in. Haha! This was a despedida party for me!

I hugged everyone there. And everyone who was there made every moment special. The 5 and Up gang was there, representatives from DigSol and the UP geeks, TPTS and of course Nikko. Too bad Yas and Grace had to leave early due to other engagements.

Tita Acay then presented the second surprise of the evening: my passport and VISA! It had arrived earlier that day, and she purposely didn't call me so that it could be the icing on the cake. It was the greatest thing to receive. Almost instantly, a cloud lifted, and I felt that everything fell into place at that moment.

There was so much food, so much chatter and stories. Of course, my sisters just had to produce the requisite AVP. These things are always touching because it allows you to express thoughts and feelings you wouldn't be able to say otherwise. I teared a little, and was deeply touched. I love my siblings, no matter how crazy and hard-headed they are.

And then Thea made an announcement that there was a phone patch that evening, and that they would like everyone to hear it. But then there was a technical glitch so the person who was supposed to send the greeting decided to make an appearance instead. Suddenly someone was crouched behind Monique on the stairs, and they revealed: Denise! My other sister who had been working in Boracay for six months! I thought I wouldn't get to see her before I left, and suddenly she was there. Of course the first person to react was my mom! And Jay O said, this actually a surprise for Data's mom, LOL!

WILD my siblings are. The eating and the chatting continued. They even asked me to blow a candle on a chocolate cake, which represented my birthday cake. Exactly a month from Tuesday was my birthday, that's why they called the event my Birthpedida. The good times went on til about ten thirty and we had to break the party up. But it was all good. This surprise tops everything we've planned so far. I can't wait to see the photos and videos that people took! I hope they upload them already. It's a night I'd like to relive over and over again. :)

Post script:

My brother came home from his US trip this AM! And for the first time in 6 months, we're all together in the same house again. Oh, this is great. I'm so happy!

Rainy Day Birthday Blessings

I was born on a Wednesday, 33 years ago. As far as I know this is 4th time May 14 has fallen on a Wednesday. How that is significant, I don't know, but the poem of the child born on a Wednesday being full of woe just came to mind. I guess I am a worrier. But I chalk that up to genetics, not fate. I worry about a lot of things, not least of which is the future. But don't we all. What I do have to leverage however, are the blessings I've been getting the past three decades. They say that when it rains on your birthday, it's actually raining blessings. :-) So actually, everything balances out. It's good to be a little introspective, even for just one day in a year. And today I'm thinking about what I did the previous year, the results of those decisions, and where they will take me this year.

There's Oz to look forward to, my work to be thankful for, and a family to plan for. I'm looking forward to more travel opportunities and career moves (hopefully) abroad. I'm targeting to graduate this year. I'm also making it a point to learn as much as I can from the crises happening around me, so that I can rise above it.

Friends have always been in the picture. Old ones have always been a source of support and advice and new ones are a source of fun in the midst of work. Family always plays an important role: they can be source of wisdom...both for things to emulate, and things to avoid. But they're always there, in good times and in bad.

Most of all, I'm thankful for love...from everyone, most of all from the most brilliant man I've ever known. I count having Benc one of the most treasured blessings I've ever received. I can't complain (except for his mess maybe, hehe); so I celebrate. I could just be one of the luckiest people alive. And for all the worrying I've had to do all these years, he is the one thing that keeps everything in balance. :-)

So happy birthday, Me. Here's to another birthday raining with blessings to herald a sensational year!

May 14

I remember I shared my birthday with another girl in my highschool--a really brilliant math wizard named Ernestine. Where she was a whiz with numbers, I was crap. I did excel with words though. And literature. It was all good.

Last Monday, I shared it with the nation, as registered voters trooped to the polling precincts to get their thumbs smudged and their index fingers inked. I think this is the 4th or 5th time the elections fell on the 14th of May. While it's a novel thing, it can be annoying that more people forgot to greet you (or maybe they just decided not to, hehe).

So to celebrate my 32nd, I decided to be a good citizen and vote. I only voted for 8 senators, a congressman, a mayor and vice mayor. I had lunch with my dad and brother then went home to rest from the oppressive heat. In the evening I had dinner with my other siblings, the Hubby, my dad. Then we went home. This was also the first time my mom wasn't around on my birthday. (She was busy managing --and winning-- the mayoralty elections in her home town with my uncle as mayor.)

It was a rather quiet celebration. I guess you get more of that as you get older. I was hoping to give it a kick by announcing I was pregnant...but I wasn't. Baby test came back negative. So I will try again. Maybe it will work the next time.

If it does, and I do get pregnant say, in August, I may be sharing my next birthday with my baby. :-) Now that would be a blast!

Happy birthday Me!