Celebration

To celebrate my 25th (Fine, fine! Just add 10 if you want to get really anal about the details..... Sheez!) birthday, I treated some of my most cherished family and friends to partake of the fabulously vast and famously delicious buffet at Hotel Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila's Spiral.


Amidst all the endless chatter and laughter over lunch, the restaurant staff suprised me by suddenly gathering at our table to sing me a Happy Birthday song...

...and present me with a scrumptious dark chocolate cake.


After extinguishing the candles with the more than enthusiastic help of my toddler...

....my ever-curious friends Pam and Jenni momentarily paused from their impromptu dessert critiquing session to ask what my birthday wish was.

I was suddenly stunned to realize I actually failed to make a wish before blowing out my candles!

Year and after year ever since I could remember, I had always made it a point to make a silent wish during my birthday. I could not believe I did not do it this time.

I found myself immediately mulling it over in my mind, until it dawned on me.

I did not make a wish because I did not have one. Right at that singular instance in time, I was simply and extraordinarily content with how my life was. I was surrounded by people I loved dearly and who loved me in return, sharing great food and basking in each other's presence.

My ultra-cool parents who are always, always there for their kids, no matter what or how or why...


My little big brothers who crack me up without even trying...


My beautiful grandmother whom nobody believes is 88....


My one and only lovely aunt Laly....


My sweet, sweet cousins Carmela and Camille (Margarita, we miss you!)....


And my super laugh-til-our-tummies-burst partners Jennigirl and Pammy.


My marvelous husband, who thoughtfully made all the preparations, kept checking on all our guests to ensure everybody was having fun. From time to time, he would also check on me....as well as check me out. Bwahaha! He is really the best man ever.


My hyperactive son, who was very busy running around the hotel and saying hi to every stranger he saw, kept passing by my seat to flash his huge heart-melting impish smile and slap me a high-five.

The glorious day filled me with such an overwhelming sense of joy and fulfillment that rendered the need to wish for more unnecessary.

All I felt was grateful.

So to each and everyone of you who have made my life better and happier by being a part of it....

Thank you.

I love you all very much.

MwaaaaaaaH!!!

Birthday Wish List

I turn 35 in less than 12 hours.

To save you the trouble of fretting over what birthday gift to get me, simply take your pick from any of the following items:

Thank you in advance for your thoughtfulness and generosity. I truly appreciate it.

BWAHAHAHA!

SSSSssssmile, Don't Hissssss!

"The snake is an animal..... It has a backbone and heart. It has red blood and drinks water and eats food. It breathes air and feels fear, just like every other animal in the world.... And it's in a body that is the hardest thing for the average person to understand."

—Dave Barker, herpetologist

Oh! The ssssssily things a mother is sssssssucked into doing for the ssssssake of her reptile-loving sssssson....

SSSSSSSsssssssigh.

Thank goodnessssss, the ssssslimy ssssssnake ssssssuppresssssed a hisssssssss asssss I ssssstrove to sssssseem ssssssserene by ssssssstaunchly ssssssssmiling through sssssssuch a sssssssscary sssssssituation!

Movie Mush

I’ll let you in on a dirty little secret. At times, I can be pathetically, embarrassingly schmaltzy. This ignominious trait manifests itself by the fact that I love watching sappy romantic movies over and over again (to my husband’s consternation). Mostly, it is the lines that get me. Ingeniously written and marvelously uttered prose teeming with unadulterated feeling that grab me in the gut and silently simmer within, only to pop up unexpectedly every now and then when I encounter a life situation in which their truth brilliantly applies (see previous blog entry entitled Friendship on Fire for proof of this).

To the mush-averse, be forewarned! This is not for the weak of heart. Literally.

Here are some of my all-time favorite cinematic dialogues that speak – nay, shriek – of love, so much so that we might all feel a sliver of sentimentality this Valentine's Day:

The Accidental Tourist

I'm beginning to think that maybe it's not just how much you love someone. Maybe what matters is who you are when you're with them.

Fools Rush In

You are what I never knew I always wanted.

Captain Corelli's Mandolin

When you fall in love, it is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake, and then it subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots are become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are.

Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two.

Crazy/Beautiful

You can be anywhere when your life begins. You meet the right person and anything is possible.

Good Will Hunting

Sometimes I wish I had never met you. Because then I could go to sleep at night not knowing there was someone like you out there.

Hope Floats

Dancing is just a conversation between two people. Talk to me.

Beginnings are scary. Endings are usually sad, but it's what's in the middle that counts. So, when you find yourself at the beginning, just give hope a chance to float up. And it will.

Shakespeare In Love

I will have poetry in my life. And adventure. And love. Love above all. No...not the artful postures of love, not playful and poetical games of love for the amusement of an evening. but love that...overthrows life. Unbiddable, ungovernable, like a riot in the heart, and nothing to be done, come ruin or rapture.

A Walk In The Clouds

Newlyweds. What else do they do but make love and war?

Sixteen Candles

That's why they call them crushes. If they were easy, they'd call them something else.

When Harry Met Sally

I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.

Alex & Emma

Some things are not meant to last, they just take a place in your heart and make you smarter the next time.

A Beautiful Mind

Perhaps it is good to have a beautiful mind, but an even greater gift is to discover a beautiful heart.

The Perfect Man

I read somewhere that love is friendship on fire. That's what I feel about you.

The Notebook

I am nothing special; just a common man with common thoughts, and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me, and my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect I have succeeded as gloriously as anyone who's ever lived: I've loved another with all my heart and soul and to me, this has always been enough.

The Wedding Date

I think I'd miss you even if I never met you.

I would rather fight with you than make love to anyone else.

Say Anything

I gave her my heart. She gave me a pen.

Forces of Nature

Marriage has less beauty but more safety than a single life; it’s full of sorrows and full of joys. It lies under more burdens, but it is supported by all the strengths of love, and those burdens are delightful.

I always thought that there was this one perfect person for everybody in the world, you know, and when you found that person the rest of the world kind of magically faded away, and, you know, the two of you would just be inside this kind of protective bubble, but there is no bubble, I mean if there is you have to make it, I just think life is more than a series of moments, you know, we can make choices, and we can choose to protect the people we love, and that's what makes us who we are and those are the real memories.

Paycheck

Some of the best things in life are total mistakes.

Someone Like You

There is nothing sadder in this life than to watch someone you love walk away after they have left you. To watch the distance between your two bodies expand until there is nothing left but empty space... and silence.

The Cooler

You look in the mirror and you don't like what you see? Don't believe it. Look into my eyes; I'm the only mirror you'll ever need.

Shall We Dance?

We need a witness to our lives. There's a billion people on the planet..... I mean, what does any one life mean? But in a marriage, you're promising to care about everything. The good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things..... all of it, all the time, every day. You're saying “Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go unwitnessed because I will be your witness.”

The English Patient

Swoon. I'll catch you.

Beautiful Girls

A beautiful girl can make you dizzy, like you've been drinking Jack and Coke all morning. She can make you feel high full of the single greatest commodity known to man--promise. Promise of a better day. Promise of a greater hope. Promise of a new tomorrow. This particular aura can be found in the gait of a beautiful girl. In her smile, in her soul, the way she makes every rotten little thing about life seem like it's going to be okay...

A Walk To Remember

What is a friend? A friend is two people sharing one soul.

Indecent Proposal

The things that people in love do to each other they remember, and if they stay together it's not because they forget, it's because they forgive.

Steel Magnolias

I would rather have three minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special.

Before Sunrise

If there's any kind of magic in this world, it must be in the attempt of understanding someone, sharing something. I know, it's almost impossible to succeed, but...who cares, really? The answer must be in the attempt.

Isn't everything we do in life a way to be loved a little more?

Love Actually

Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around.

And with that, let me just greet you all...

MWAAAAAAAAAAAH!

See you at the movies!

Pick Up & Go - A Valentine Special

In dire need of a date this fast approaching Valentine's Day?

I'm reprinting my previous posts on pick-up lines to get you in the right direction....

Good luck....NOT!

Bwahahaha!

To this day, I truly cannot recall the incident without cringing. I was a freshman at college and school had just started. I was in the library frenetically cramming a paper due in the next hour when a guy I recognized from my Philosophy class casually slipped into the cubicle next to mine. We were never formally introduced before then, so I did not say anything. He threw me a friendly smile and so I simply smiled back. Just as I was about to resume work on my essay, he confidently proclaimed: “Your father must be a thief.” Taken aback, I muttered: "Huh?” He gazed straight at me and declared in all seriousness: “He stole the stars from the sky and put them in your eyes.” I almost choked. Before I could run for cover, he brazenly continued: “And you must be a thief too….because you stole my heart.” Holy jeepers! I actually felt my insides squirm. Was he for real??? I hurriedly stuffed my unfinished paper in my bag and hightailed it out of there.

Eventually, the guy became a friend. But, of course, he still has not heard the end of it from me regarding that singularly unforgettable library encounter. In fact, in honor of and inspired by such awesome boldness, I have compiled a list of the cheesiest, most groan-inducing pick-up lines I have ever come across.

Men, use at your own risk. Women, do not bother to take the risk….RUN!

Here it goes:

Can I borrow fifty cents? I told my mother I would call her when I fell in love with the girl of my dreams.

Do you have a map? I just keep getting lost in your eyes.

Excuse me, but I think I dropped something…MY JAW!

Someone call the police because it’s gotta be illegal to look that good!

Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?

Hershey’s makes millions of kisses a day.... all I'm asking for is one.

How was heaven when you left it?

I didn’t know that angels could fly so low.

What time do you have to be back in heaven?

Can I see the tag on your shirt? I want to see if it says made in heaven.

Would you touch me please so I can tell my friends that I've been touched by an angel?

Remind me to tell God congratulations. He finally got it right.

I play the field, and it looks like I just hit a home run with you.

Do you need a light? Because I think I’ve found the perfect match.

If I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put U and I together.

If you were a tear in my eye, I would not cry for fear of losing you.

Is there an airport nearby or is that just my heart taking off?

You know, you might be asked to leave this place soon. You’re making the other women look really bad.

Your name must be Mickey because you’re so fine.

You’re pretty good-looking. Any chance you have a personality?

Is your father an alien? Because there's nothing else like you on earth.

Is your dad a baker? Because you've got a nice set of buns!

Is your father a farmer? Because you sure have great melons!

Your parents must be beavers…because DAM!

Your legs must be tired…because you've been running through my mind all night.

I lost my phone number. Could I borrow yours?

Excuse me, could you give me directions to your heart?

Is your dad a terrorist? Because you're the bomb!

You must be a broom...because you just swept me off my feet.

You must be a ticket...because you have fine written all over you.

You're like a dictionary...you add meaning to my life.

Are you religious? Because you are the answer to all my prayers.

Do you have a band-aid? Because I just scraped my knee falling for you.

Well, here I am. What were your other two wishes?

Mind if I call you Destiny?

I may not be Fred Flintstone, but I bet I can make your bed rock.

I like that shirt. Is it felt? No. Would you like it to be?

Do you work for UPS? I could have sworn I saw you checking out my package.

If I told you that you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me?

You have really beautiful legs. What time do they open?

That dress looks really nice on you. But how can I talk you out of it?

You’ve been a bad girl.…go to my room!

I’ve heard that sex is a killer. Do you want to die happy?

Stand still so I can pick you up.

Pardon me, but what pick up line works best with you?

Do you mind if I end this sentence in a proposition?

Hi! Can I buy you a car?

Have you always been this cute, or did you have to work at it?

I’m in the process of writing a phone book. May I have your number?

There must be something wrong with my eyes. I can’t take them off you.

I’m feeling a little off today. Would you like to turn me on?

You are the reason why I came here alone.

Hello! Can I see your tan lines?

Inheriting eighty million bucks doesn’t mean much when you have a weak heart.

Excuse me, may I take your picture? I want Santa Claus to know exactly what I want for Christmas.

Apart from being sexy, what do you do for a living?

Here’s a quarter. Call your roommate and tell her you won’t be coming home tonight.

Hey, I’m searching for treasure. Can I search around your chest?

Your daddy must be a drug dealer…because you’re dope!

Are you an interior decorator? When you came in, the room became beautiful.

You must be going straight to hell, because it is a sin to look that good!

Are you accepting applications to your fan club?

If it weren’t for that darn sun, you’d be the hottest thing ever created.

So, you have a man? How long have you had that problem?

I know milk does a body good, but DAMN! How much have you been drinking?

Hi! I’m writing a term paper on the finer things in life, and I was wondering if I could interview you.

Come live in my heart…and pay no rent.

Do you want to see something swell?

I’m not drunk. I’m just intoxicated by the breathtaking sight of you.

Do you know karate? Because your body is really kickin’!

If your left leg was Easter and your right leg was Christmas, could I please come and spend time between the holidays?

You have nice jewelry. They would look great on my nightstand.

Hi! I’m new to this country and you are the prettiest sight I’ve seen so far. Can you give me a tour of your body?

I’ve lost my teddy bear. Can I sleep with you?

I’m not looking for a relationship. I’m looking for an experience.

I envy your lipstick.

Was it difficult getting into those jeans? Can I try?

You’ll do.

What do you like for breakfast?

Damn, Sugar, settle down! I’m diabetic.

Do you sleep on your stomach? Can I? Please?

Your name must be Summer…because you are hot as hell!

I’m a criminal. Hurry! Put me in handcuffs.

You know what? Your eyes have the exact same color as my brand new Porsche.

Hey, what’s that on your face? Here…let me check. Oh, it’s just beauty!

I have only three months to live.

Pardon me, but you stink. Let’s take a shower together.

If I said you were an angel, would you treat me like the devil tonight?

When does your centerfold come out?

When God made you, He was showing off.

Excuse me, I’d like to have kids someday and I wanted to find out how your parents created such a beautiful creature.

I want you almost as much as I want world peace.

I’d marry your dog just to get in the family.

You look like the type of girl who has heard every line in the book…so what’s one more?

Talk Baby Talk

When my brother Don was a toddler, he used to refer to candies as "COOEY-COOEY" and Pepsi as "PSSSSSS-PSSSSSS." Apparently, I'm not the only who remembers this amusing phase in his learning-to-talk life as our older relations mercilessly never fail to remind my poor sibling of this whenever there's a family reunion: "Please pass the Pssssss-pssss!"....

.....and "Don, hand me the bowl of cooey-cooey!"


It's no wonder my brother now opts for Coke and chocolates anytime.

I am not exactly ridicule-free when it comes to kidspeak. I used to exclaim "BOXIBLE!" every time I saw a basketball. To this day, when I bump into old friends of my grandparents and parents, I am greeted with the inevitable: "Hi, Miss Boxible!"


Presently, our own child has begun to babytalk a mile a minute. Admittedly, we cannot fully decipher what he is saying half the time. However, he does have favorite words which he utters over and over again and which we are able to successfully translate into adultspeak.

PEESH


EPHESANT



YAYON*


*May only be said when accompanied with a ferocious growl.

CYCA*


*May be used interchangeably for tricycle, bicycle and unicycle.

DISOR


MOO*


*May also be used when spotting a cow.

TOE-TOE


ORS



But for us parents, the best, most fabulously heartwarming baby words to ever come out of his lips so far are "WUV YOU!" which he accompanies by a big "MWAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


Awwwwwwwwwwww.

How about you? What were your unforgettable baby words?