Gastronomic Birthday

My birthday this year's on a Friday. We were going to be in Bangkok for the weekend (with my family), so, I didn't plan nor accept any birthday get-togethers. I must admit, the announcement of my birthday being a holiday (end of Ramadan) was anti-climactic. I had really wanted to spend that morning in school with my students, have the afternoon all to myself and leave the evening for my hubby to plan. Since it was going to be a holiday, I had a whole day of nothing planned. Little did I know that Hubby was onto something. Well, I knew something was up, and I was desperately trying to get him to spill the beans (he's bad at keeping secrets, you know), but (clap! clap! clap!), he was able to contain himself until the end of the day.

My birthday turned out to be a day of friends popping-up for breakfast, lunch, merienda and dinner! Needless to say, my tummy was filled to the rim that I could hardly move by the time we were done with dinner. Nevertheless, I had a wonderful birthday -- with friends and family around, what more could I ask for?

Here are snapshots of my gastronomic birthday celebration:

Dinner at Cantinetta (the night before my birthday) with my sis-in-law. She brought the uber dense chocolate cake from Banapple (I still have some if you like).

McDonald's breakfast (with 2 bags puto & kutsinta) at home with Myke's barkada (who are, obviously my friends, too). Naka pantulog pa'ko nyan!

Lunch at Secret Recipe with ex-Client, now super good friend, Olivia. Finally got to taste their famous super spicy Tom Yum noodle soup.

Merienda at Via Mare with my best friend, her family and our barkada Rene (Berns & Gats, I'll just see you guys in NYC!). Had Bibingka, Arroz Caldo, Tokwa't Baboy, among other things.

Dinner at La Cucina de Tita Moning with my First Wives Club Kuyug friends. Really good & sumptuous meal! From soup to dessert, yum-my!

Thank you to my hubby for a wonderful birthday. Mwah!

Pictures and story of my Birthday Weekend in Bangkok here.

What's Your Position?

I've been feeling down and a bit depressed this past few days because of the events happening around me.

*A good friend (mother of a godchild) is on the verge of a marital separation and while she's trying to settle things with her spouse, she and her kids are staying with us. I've taken on the role of (sort of) a second mom to her kids while she's at work. Lending a listening ear to my friend as she shares the latest status of her state.

*An aunt just underwent a triple bypass surgery (Thank God, a successful one), but the family is still trying to raise enough amount to pay for the procedure in full. Meanwhile, I've been helping out in sourcing the funds they need on top of trying to talk my cousins and uncle out of their misery.

*A good friend's dad - who's also close to my heart, who's been in the hospital for the past months for various medical treatments, passed away this morning. I know for a fact that there's no easy way to comfort anyone who's loved one just passed away, but I am trying my darn best to let my friend know that I am close by.

I am not complaining. I just can't help but feel for these people who are very dear to me. As I was sharing how I feel with my husband last night, he told me something -something that hit me. It hit me alright, but I don't know in what way, it just did. He said: "Just be thankful that you're in the position to help out."

Yes, we are very blessed that we can help out - financially, emotionally. No, I don't want to be in any position but here. Still, it breaks my heart to see them this way. I hope and pray that everything will fall into place, God's will be done, and see these people I love smiling again.

Weddings Galore

This was suppose to be my wedding anniversary post, but what the heck.

I like attending weddings, specifically the Church ceremony (To me, the reception is just icing on the cake.), because one can really feel the blessing that God bestows on the couple. I am no sap, but I always get teary-eyed at that moment when the priest presents the newly married couple to the "public".

2006 has got to be the year we attended several weddings. I must say that I appreciate them more than ever. Each wedding is different from the other but in each one, I couldn't help but reminisce about my own. During the "I DO" parts, I picture my and my hubby at the altar exchanging vows. And as any married couple would claim, ours is still the best wedding ever! :)

Last December 18 was our first wedding anniversary. How time flies, huh? People often ask us how married life is. I always jokingly answer, it's the same as having a boyfriend/bestest friend but you go home to the same house and have sex all the time. Hahahaha! True! But it's a lot more than that! I can go on and on and on about how great it is being married, but the best thing about being married is knowing that your have someone to share your life with, hopefully until your breathe your last breath.

Congratulations to all our friends who got married:

Allan & Hanako
January 9, 2006

James & Trixie

February 9, 2006

Jogee & Pia

February 25, 2006

Daryl & Charmaine

May 6, 2006

Mike & Tintin

December 17, 2006

Carlo & Jenny

December 21, 2006

Alan & Chic

January 27, 2007

Here's hoping that marital bliss is still what it is for you as much as it is for us.

And congratulations also to those who are about to take the plunge -- Beejay & Julz, Jason & Camille, Philippe & Gina. Enjoy your wedding preparations and be prepared for a life that's full of love & laughter.


Being married rocks!

The Toothbrush Club

That's the name of my oldest barkada.

I can still remember that day we met. It was the first day of our College life. J & I (both from different high schools, met during the freshman orientation) bumped into each other in the campus and walked to the gym (believe it or not, the first class we were to attend in college was PE!). When we got to the gym, to our surprise, it was under renovation! "Shucks! What do we do now?" Then came M & T. Looking for the same class, too! J & I overheard them talking, so we approached them and asked them if they wanted to go with us to look and ask around.

That's how we became a barkada.

Sadly, the last time all four of us were together was 9 years ago (I think. If not, even longer)! J went to the U.S. soon after College for further studies and eventually, decided to work and live there. I got to meet up with her when she was briefly (I think a few days!) when she was here last 2001. M got to visit her when she went to the U.S. a couple of years back. She didn't get to attend any of our weddings and none of us got to attend hers!

However(!), last night, The Toothbrush Club was reunited once more. It was just like old times. Nothing has changed. We reminisced the entire night, leaving our husbands to discover more and more things about our past! Talked about our lives now (though we do that via email), realizing that we are all freakin' married! And it's like only yesterday that we were sharing our woes about our boylets. Hahahaha! It was so much fun, to say the least. Very much like our carefree younger years. But more than that, I am SO happy to know that I have very good friends, who are more like family, who will always remain true despite being pulled apart by time and distance.

God knows when we'll be able to do this again (I really hope our plan of crashing J's place pushes through. Maybe with our kids in tow.). For now, allow me to look back, reminisce and hold on to this moment, until we are reunited once more.

Then...

...and Now.

How time flies, huh? Oh! You might be wondering about the name. It's really simple. After having our lunch, we would all go to the washroom to brush off all those food remnants stuck in between our teeth and braces. Hence, the name.

BESTest

I've always been very careful using the title "Best Friend". I've always believed that one can only have ONE best friend. Once you have given the title to someone, that title stays with that person forever. I read in an email that you can have a lot of best friends. A best friend for a particular purpose -- one to bum around with, go on adventures with, cry your heart out with/to, etc. I call them good friends, or really good friends at that. But really, for me, there should only be one best friend. The person you go to for whatever purpose you may have. Why do you think it uses the word "Best" in it?

I understand that a friendship can and will be tested a thousand times. There will be a lot of conflicts, misunderstandings, fights. And you go through ALL of these (good times and bad as they say) with THAT one friend and still keep the relationship as if it's never been scathed. You do not lose this friendship because whatever comes between you two, the important thing is, no one will feel betrayed (yep, for me, trust is the most essential part of friendship.), ever. And no matter how difficult things may be, you both trust that the other always mean well.

Growing up, I have always longed for a best friend. We moved around a lot, we never stayed in a place long enough for me to develop that kind of friendship I long for. By the time I develop a deeper degree of closeness with someone, we're ready for the next move.

We finally settled when I got to college. That's when I met my best friend. But she wasn't my best friend until 5 years after college. By that time, we have gone through hell and high waters. Let's just say, we fought over guy (among other things) - which I believe is one of the worst things to fight about between 2 girl friends. Our friendship is so strong that our parents have developed a friendship of their own, too! You might be wondering, where do my (ex) boyfriends stand in this. Well, sad to say, none of them stood the test of time. Honestly, I don't believe that a best friend can be replaced. But, on the contrary, something in me also dictates that your significant other SHOULD be your best friend. Makes sense. Thankfully, I never had the dilemma of "should I replace my best friend with my boyfriend-now-my-new-best friend".

Until I got engaged.

My hubby, then my boyfriend/fiance, has obviously stood the test of time and has qualities to be MY best friend. Oh dear. What now? I can't kick out my best friend nor can I deny the fact that my hubby is ALSO my best friend! So, I said to myself, what the hell, they can share the title. However, I have somehow always felt uneasy whenever I talk about my best friend and refer to a girl friend and not my hubby. And I feel worse thinking that people might be wondering why I refer to someone else and not my hubby when I use those words.

And I finally figured it out. My girl friend is (still) my BEST FRIEND and my hubby is (now) my BESTEST FRIEND. Ha! There you go! Makes more sense.

So let me tell you why he's my BESTEST (which is really the point of this post. obviously, you can tell by the title):

1. Let's start with the most obvious. He's my husband. The man I married, for, I believe, the right reasons. The person God prepared for me.

2. He respects and accepts me for who I am, and who I've been. I am not the easiest person to deal with as most of my friends can attest to. And I can shock the most liberated person I know with my past "adventures". Mind blowing for a conservative guy like him.

3. He knows what I want before I even say it.

4. He knows what food I will and most importantly WILL NOT eat. I am very difficult to feed. But he also knows how to encourage me to try eating food I normally wouldn't, like capers. My friends are actually surprise that I order salad now.

5. He's always ready for an adventure. Be it trying out a new resto, watch a tagalog movie, go dancing, videoke nights, pose for a photograph, going on trips, discovering what's out there, etc. How much more fun can it get than going on an adventure with the one you love? Or having someone to drag along (especially those spur of the moment moments) for whatever reason?

6. He's my shoulder to cry on. Even if the things I cry about are sometime trivial or downright ridiculous. Yet, he has the guts to tell me to get over it.

7. He's my kilig absorber. He doesn't mind if I tell him all about a crush. Or have coffee with one. Even calls me kikay. Goes without saying, I can really talk to him about ANYTHING under the sun.

8. He makes me laugh with his jokes. Well, he can make me laugh without even trying (go figure if that's a compliment or not, hehe).

9. He makes me cry, too. Unintentionally, of course. But he knows when to humbly say sorry. Which I really believe makes our friendship/marriage stronger.

10. He stays up with me even if his eyes are already heavier than both of us combined. He doesn't even mind being awakened from his hard earned sleep whenever I feel like talking about something that's in my mind that I can't get some shut eye.

11. He doesn't mind just bumming around. And I know that, this takes a whole lot from someone who feels guilty about not doing anything "productive". You know me, I love to just sleep and chill.

12. Everything I cook/feed him is great! Even my pathetic kitchen experiments. But he also suggests how to improve my kitchen skills.

13. No matter how much of a failure I feel I am, he's always proud of me. He believes in me, no matter what.

14. He understands me whenever I say "I'm not in the mood", and I don't want to talk. Or when I wake up grumpy. Or when I'm PMSing. He doesn't probe. He patiently waits until I snap out of my drama. Then he starts asking :). Because he knows I'll feel better talking about it.

15. He encourages me to try out/learn new things (not just food). He has this immense hunger for learning that it's amazing how much more enriching life can be, even if you know that things are already at its best.

I can go on and on, but this post is too long already (probably wouldn't read it myself!). And with that I'd like to say:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY BESTEST!

I LOVE YOU!

So long, Star!

My friend Reyster Langit passed away. He's the first friend I lost and I'm having a bit of a difficult time coping. You must have heard it from the news, we lost him to a rare disease called cerebral malaria.

Please pray for the eternal repose of his soul and for strength for his family and friends.

Boys will be boys

They always forget details...

I had dinner with my friend Titus last night. Titus is a very close friend of mine. Just to give you an idea how close we are: he knows my history; how much I earn; constantly updated about my life; he's one of 3 people who knows my deepest, darkest secret; the only one I allow to call me "Annie"; one of the first friends I told about my engagement. Since my engagement announcement to him, whenever we get to talk or see each other, like last night, he would always, always ask me when my wedding date is!

...but they can be the sweetest!

The other night, when Myke fetched me from work, he surprised me with 3 stems of peach roses (those you buy from a street vendor)! When I asked "for what?", he said "Oh, nothing. Coz I'm in love with you and to thank you for a wonderful vacation." I was speechless...