32nd Birthday - Happy! - Part 2

Jopet and I celebrated the part 2 of my birthday last January 14 and 15. Tapos na ang birthday ko. :) And I super love every minute of it! Fun, fun, fun!


January 14 - Day 2 of 3
We went to Ongpin to canvass for rings. Ana, my SFC sister who is based in Australia, volunteered to sponsor them as her gift to us. She's been bugging me to send her quotations since November last year. Last week, she reminded me again about the quotation so we decided to go and look around. We were able to buy model rings made of tungsten and styled exactly what we had in mind but we could not find ones that were made of gold.

After visiting a number of stores we decided to roam around the area to look for authentic Chinese cuisine. I was a bit hesitant to enter some stores since we were not sure if they were clean or not (sorry, maarte lang talaga). It was a good thing that Jopet agreed to eat at Eng Bee Tin where he ordered Singaporean Laksa.



January 15 - Day 3of 3
Feast of Sto. Niño

As promised, Jopet brought me to the National Museum for the completion of my birthday celebration. While inside the LRT, I saw people holding/hugging their Sto Nino images. Probably, they will attend the procession in Binondo.

I was overflowing with excitement as we reached the entrance of the National Museum! I super love the place! Everybody at the entrance was so nice and kind and helpful. Jopet and I did not follow the student’s line. We decided to have our own tour. Apparently we got lost and ended up at the back corridor of the second floor. We entered one of the closed doors and saw many foreigners and lots of lights. Jopet and I concluded that we were probably inside the shooting venue of Bourne Legacy. We decided to pretend that we were lost to check what was going on but as we made our way to the shooting area, we were approached by a man in suit who kept on saying, “nagbabawas kami ng tao! Nagbabawas kami ng tao!” Buti na lang someone at the back said, “Hindi boss, walk in lang mga yan” and he immediately ushered us to another door.

Compared to CCP, National Museum was a magical place! We were allowed to use our cameras as long as we turn off the flash. I love the history behind the artefacts carefully written on the information board beside each display; the old houses of our ancestors as well as their clothes and body ornaments; the preserved species samples in the biodiversity section of the museum; the paintings in the art gallery; even the column cladding at the main entrance of the museum! I mean everything about the place, I super love! =) And the best thing about the trip was that Jopet also enjoyed it.

32nd Birthday - Happy!

At age 25, I already reached the conclusion that there is an inverse relationship between ones age and the number of gifts he/she receives. As time goes by, this has become a fact that I learned to accept - with a heavy heart, of course.

And so, this year I was not expecting anything from anybody. Well, I was expecting a little something from Jopet ;) – a frog stuffed toy from Blue Magic to complete my frog collection for this year.

However, as the saying goes: good things happen when you least expect them.

December 11 - My birthday started when I went to Fairview to fetch Jopet. He was so busy these past few weeks that we rarely see each other. I felt that since it was my birthday I would exert a little effort for him. We had dinner with Migs at MOA before we watched Immortals, which by the way was good in the beginning, kinda disturbing in the middle and a bit disappointing in the end.

As a birthday present, Migs gave me a super cute heart radio! Thanks, Dad!



Being my mom/daughter, Arlene waited for us until 2 am just to give me a cake – the number of candles and their sizes made up for the size of the cake. :) A few weeks ago, she also gave me a frog and a turtle stuffed toy. Now I have 2 frogs (the other one came from Carlo) and 1 turtle. :) Thanks, Nanay!

December 12 – Everybody woke up early to celebrate my birthday. Edmond cooked pansit, adobong pusit, and tinolang manok for lunch. Parang fiesta! :) Thanks, Tatay!

After lunch, Jopet and I went out on a field trip. The itinerary was:

1. National Museum
2. Fort Santiago
3. Casa De Manila

I was saddened when we found out that National Museum closes every Monday. :( I guess Jopet saw how disappointed I was because he suggested that we go to Manila Zoo. I told him, no because from what I heard, the animals there are not in good condition any more. I don’t want to be sad on my birthday. He suggested Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), which according to him, was one of his favourite places. During his early years, his Papa would enrol him in the CCP summer arts program. It was during those times when his passion for the arts was honed. Migs, who is also an artist, met us there to explore the place. CCP is old but the grandeur is still there.



After CCP, Migs suggested that we go to Museong Pambata because the exhibits there are interactive. But it was beyond 5pm, we figured it was already closed. We went straight to Intramuros to visit Manila Cathedral.

We decided to forgo our visit to Fort Santiago and Casa de Manila. May part 2 na lang daw ang field trip namin sabi ni Jopet. There he gave me a rose-shaped salmon pink coral earring (such a beauty) as his birthday gift. :) Thank you, Mahal!

December 13 – My birthday would never be complete without my Papa and Mama preparing lunch for my office mates. This started more than a decade ago when I was still with Alpha Cargo International. This year, Papa brought: inihaw na tilapia, bopis (my favorite), spaghetti, and lumpiang sariwa. I super appreciated their effort. Grabe! :) I wonder what will happen next year no?! :) Oh well, I’m sure it will still be special. Thank you Mama and Papa!



Mama, being a generous mom, gave me a Long Champ bag. Bongacious! I would never ever buy this stuff because I find it very expensive and yet my mother gave me one. Whoa!

(Picture to follow)

Next, Ate Wena gave me a very nice Belle Jewellery box. An addition to my Beauty and the Beast collection. :) Thank you Ate Wena. :)



Ate Josh, upon learning that it is my birthday, gave me her mom’s ube halaya. :) Super yum! Thank you Ate Josh!



Ate Cha, although 2 days late gave me a Starbucks Christmas mug. :) Now I have 4 Starbucks mugs and 1 tumbler.



~~~

Of all these things that I received, what I appreciated the most is the time these people spent remembering my birthday and making sure that I would feel special on this special day.

I thank my wonderful and beautiful God for making my day extra special. :) Thank you, Lord for a wonderful year! I pray that you will continue to bless me and my loved ones this coming year so that we may become blessings to others.

Important note: I will try to post the birthday greetings i got from SMS and Facebook, hopefully next week. :)

Happy birthday ko na!

Dear God,

Thank you for all the wonderful blessings you have given me. I pray that you would bless me more indeed!

Loving you so much,

Jing


OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
Fr. Rudy Horst

The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe has brown complexion and her features are not European (actually, Mary was not a European but an Asian woman), quite different from that in Lourdes or Fatima. After Mary appeared three times between December 9 and 12 in 1531 to St. Juan Diego, life in Mexico changed dramatically. Thousands of Aztecs converted to Catholicism, and the natives were finally acknowledged as human beings. Here’s an interesting background to the apparitions.

In Genesis, we read that Noah had three sons — Shem, Ham and Japheth — “and from them the whole earth was peopled” (Genesis 9:19). It was understood that Shem’s descendants were the Semites, Ham’s descendants were those in Egypt and the surrounding countries, while Japheth’s descendants lived in Asia Minor and on the Mediterranean islands. When the Spaniards landed in the newly discovered America in the 15th century, they found brown people, half-naked, and speaking an unknown language. They could not be descendants either of Shem, Ham, or Japheth, so the conquerors concluded that these creatures were animals and did not have a human soul. That was the reason for the horrible abuse of the Indios.

When Our Lady appeared at Guadalupe with Indio features, she acknowledged them to be her children also. Six years later, Pope Paul III officially declared the Indians “to be real human beings and capable of receiving the Catholic faith.”

Our Lady’s message to St. Juan Diego is as consoling and encouraging for us as it was for him: “I am your merciful Mother, the Mother of all... those who love me, of those who cry to me, of those who have confidence in me... Do not be troubled or weighed down with grief. Do not fear any illness...anxiety or pain. Am I not here who am your Mother?” We thank Pope Pius XI for declaring Our Lady of Guadalupe patroness of the Philippines. With such a patroness, what are we afraid of?

Reflection Question:
Is my devotion to Our Lady genuine? Does it lead me to a deeper love of Christ?

Lord, we thank and praise You for giving us Mary as our heavenly Mother. As she took care of the downtrodden natives in Mexico, she takes care of us in our sufferings and needs. Listen to her intercessions and prayers for us and bless us with Your mercy and love.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.

December Twelve

Birthday Greetings from Friends and Family

Happy birthday besee! Love yah! Tythug from ur loving besee.
Besee - 00:02:25

Happy birthday besee! God bless!
Besee - 01:56:06

Happy birthday!
Ms. Wena - 06:33:02

If GOD painted a beautiful rainbow as a sign of his love we must also paint a beautiful smile to start the day right. Have a happy birthday.
Besee - 07:28:28

Today as Angel Inaanak celebrate her birthday, help her oh Lord, her brothers and friends, to live for others, to achieve her goals, to fulfill Your plan for her life for your greater glory. Amen. :) Happy birthday angel inaanak! :) God loves you :) Payakap po :)
Nangni - 07:59:24

Happy birthday! How are you na? Miss ka na namin.
Ms. Rose - 08:13:09

Jing, happy birthday. Kamusta na ikaw?
Ms. Franz - 08:13:45

Love you po pretty angel inaanak :) Enjoy life for you are so loved by God! And He is more than enough :)
Nangni - 08:31:54

Happy birthday, more birthdays to come. Ano handa?
Tito Dan - 08:41:18

Happy birthday po.
Mark - 09:01:52

Happy birthday, Jing! I wish you good health, true happiness and peace of mind. Thanks for being so nice and humble. Stay pretty! Have more blessed years ahead! God bless.
Ate Mavie - 09:23:15

There are two greatest days in your life…
The day you were born,
And the day you’ll discover why…
Happy birthday!
Ate Girlie - 09:42:24

Hi Guads, how are you? I heard you got sick. Hope you’re doing ok especially today because it’s your special day. Happy, Happy Birthday! Take care and God bless!
Weng - 10:32:48

Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday
Happy birthday
Happy birthday to you!
Mwah! Mwah! Mwah!
Raciel - 10:43:58

Happy birthday Guadz!
Riza - 13:17:04

Jing, Happy birthday!
Tito Joel - 15:23:50

Pakner! Happy birthday!
Mej - 16:17:39

Advance happy birthday! Maligayang bati at Gratulerer meddagen (Norks!) :) ako pinaka-una for 2007! Hehe! :) Hope you’re better now!
Emily - 18:32:48

Hi Guads! Happy happy birthday! you still in the hospital? How are you na? Miss you na. Dito nako sa batangas.
Loids - 18:32:48

Ate Jing, kamusta ka na jan? Ayos ka na ba? At happy birthday nga pala. Love you!
Boy - 19:47:55

Besee – went out of her way to bring me a chocolate cake and a balloon arrangement. :)
Arlene – wrote this :) hehe! kala ko nakalimutan niya, kaya niremind ko na lang siya. Yun pala meron na nito ;D
Mama and Papa – cooked spag, maja, bopis, minatamis na macapuno and salad for me

~~~

Hay… ang sarap mag-birthday. :) At 20+ years old, I still believe that one’s birthday is an occasion that people really look forward to every year.

Based on experience there is a negative relationship between one’s age and the material gifts one receive. :) Though I really don’t mind. It’s not that I don’t like receiving gifts, I do. But the thoughtful greetings made by friends and relatives, as documented above, made more “impact” than any material gifts in the world because they are more heartfelt. And it made my heart a lot bigger.

Before my big day, I got sick and was confined for four days for doctor prescribed medicines that were a dose too high. For almost a week, I couldn’t even stand and eat without throwing up. I couldn’t even drink water. It had never occurred to me that the medicines I was taking then was the cause of everything until another doctor said that I should stop taking them. The next day, even though I was still nauseous, I could at least go to the comfort room on my own. Luckily, on Saturday the Doctor gave his go signal for me to go home, just in time for Carlo’s first birthday party.

I went back to the office on my birthday. I planned to work the day before, since we had to prepare for the Academicians Christmas Party, but I had to give in to my parent’s request to stay home and rest even for just a day.

It was a nice and thoughtful birthday so I decided to extend the celebration for a week until 19 December. The activities were just too great not to mention.

Dec. 14 – NAST Christmas Party
Dec. 16 – Simbang Gabi – with the SFC Choir at around 3am for the first mass
Date with Maciel, Raciel and Sarah at Pagsanjan and Los Baños, Laguna


Dec. 17 – SFC Choir Fellowship at Sampalok Lake, San Pablo City
Choir arrived at 1:00 in the morning
Slept at 3am
Woke up at 4am
Went to Sampalok Lake at 9:00am
Went biking until 11:00am
Had lunch at Inay’s at 12:30pm
Went home at 2:30pm
Singing session from 3:30-6:00pm
Departure from our place


Dec. 19 – Attended Mr. and Mrs. Devonshire’s wedding
Congratulations David and Tess! :) May your love flourish forever!

December fever

December is almost over and I only have one entry. Grabe, how lousy could I get in keeping this blog? To make up for the unwritten ones, I’ll try to put a thing or two about what happened this month.

~~~

December is my most favorite month because it houses a number of special occasions. But this year, it’s extra special. Last December 9, my Taluts gave birth to a very healthy cute baby boy. He was named, Carlo.

I’ve been around with kids a lot this year but having a newborn baby inside the house is something else. Seem like because of him, everybody’s calm and kind. Voices are not being raised because the baby might wake up if he’s sleeping or might cry if he is awake.

My first words when I saw him were, “ang liit-liit naman niya!”

It’s like Joey saying to baby Emma (daughter of Rachel), “She looks so real! Y’know what I mean! She’s this whole tiny little person.”

Here is his picture:

~~~

Second, I am now a member of CFC Singles for Christ, Bicutan Unit. I graduated last December 11 at the Sto. Niño Parish Chapel. Not yet sure if it is really meant for me (and vise versa), but I’m here…waiting for something to happen. I think it’s good for me. It is slowly, bit by bit bandaging my broken soul. I still miss Lisieux though.

~~~

Next is my birthday. I had a nice birthday, a peaceful one. Ok naman. I spent my night at home watching Friends and eating ice cream. Mama sent me a bilao of pansit sotanghon and a box of pichi-pichi. Arlene, on the other hand, wrote me this and gave me a mango ice cream cake. Of course I’ll never know if it’s really meant for me, because of the flavor, but just the same, it tasted great. :) I’m not yet done with the transcription of birthday greetings but I’ll post it the soonest.

~~~

By the way, I forgot to mention December 8, Immaculate Conception - the day Mama Mary was conceived - without original sin. It was pointed out in one homily that she’s the first Christian, the first one who experienced the saving of the Christ. The homily that particular day focused not on the sexual pureness of Mary, as was yearly preached, but on the pureness of her heart in preparation for the coming of our Lord.

~~~

Then, Ate Baby and Kuya Apol got married last Sunday, December 17 at Villa Escudero Plantation. I was one of the Bridesmaids :). I was being teased by a friend saying, “Always a bridesmaid, never the bride.”

“Oh well,” I said with a shrug and a smile. In my heart I know that sometimes it’s better to be this way than to be with the wrong one, di ba?



~~~

Moving further to the topic of Christmas, I attempted (take note of the term) to complete the Simbang Gabi - again. Unfortunately, due to exhaustion and non-working cellphone alarm clock, I did not make it on the 2nd day pa lang. Hay... last year I also attempted to finish it, kaya lang on the last day I failed to wake up early. In short sa buong buhay ko, ndi ko pa nakukumpleto ang simbang gabi. Ever!

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BTW, I attended the SFC Christmas party last night. I had fun! :)