Manila Ocean Park, etc. - My Happy 31st Birthday

Like I mentioned on Plurk, I never thought I’d say this….I’m happy to be 31. It’s the best birthday I had so far. No stress, no pressure. I truly felt relaxed, happy, loved, & hopeful. That’s because I spent it just the way I promised myself I would. The blessings I received on the side I consider my bonuses. 

Let me give you a bit of a background. In my entire life, I only got to honor my birthday 13 times. My parents celebrated it when I was 1-4 years old, then when I was 13, then again when I was 16 (which was tragic — I was living with my grannies in Cagayan de Oro at that time and they decided to  do a major celebration. My Lola insisted that I invite my entire class as well as my guy friends from Ateneo. The party started at 12 noon. Then come 6pm, just when we were starting to have fun, she asked everyone to leave. FTW, right?!), then when I was 18 when I insisted that I didn’t want any birthday hoopla whatsoever (I was a teenager with raging and rebelling hormones, what can I say?). Big celebrations started again when I turned 25 and continued until my 30^th. Last year, I promised myself that it would be the last time I will celebrate my birthday in a big way. Though I sincerely enjoyed it, there were just so much stress and heartaches involved before the big event. You see, though a lot of our friends came to that birthday party of mine, none of my bestest friends were there. After all the tiring preparations, the people I wanted most to be there didn’t make it. It left me scarred but I’ve already forgiven them. It’s just that, after it happened, I promised myself that I will never go through that excruciating pain again (yes, I get a bit overly dramatic when it comes to these things). Instead, I will continue to honor and be thankful for all my upcoming birthdays by celebrating it with the one person that I can always count on the most — my perfect someone, my love, my everything — my Peter.

So, on my 31^st birthday, for the first half of my morning, I never expected that I’d get the biggest interview of my life, which I consider my 1^st gift that day. All I can say for now is that out of all the companies I applied for, I really am in love with this one and I am really, really hoping that I get that job. I am even willing to let go of my Bali & Bora trips if they want me to start ASAP. Hmmm… okay, maybe not really since I still have other obligations to finish. But still…! Until another job interview happened two days later and I fell in love with it too! This is such a euphoric feeling! I just hope in the end, I’d be able to make the right decision and choose the job that will truly make me blissful ’til the day I retire.  

Checking out Manila Ocean Park. I wonder what’s new?

 

 The view outside the mall is fantastic!

 

What luck! Chancing upon this sea plane… cute!

   

Anyway, afterwards, Peter and I just went with the flow of our moods. Since we were already in the area, we checked out the newly constructed mall at the Manila Ocean Park. Since there’s still not much to see, we went to Mall of Asia instead for lunch. I also got myself a new pair of prescription glasses (coz I lost the last one when I got drunk at Bistro last December while watching Brownman Revival. *cry*). What a wonderful surprise it was when I found out that my eyes’ grade went down from 125 to 50. Hurray!!! I consider that my 2^nd birthday gift.  All throughout the day, since the clock turned 12 AM, family and friends (both near and far, close and distant) have been greeting me via text. I was really so touched and surprised! I didn’t expect them to remember since I can be bad at remembering birthdays myself. What a terrific 3rd gift! They really brightened my day.  Then Peter and I got to watch the Shopaholic movie on the big screen. There were three unforgettable moments as we were watching the previews inside the cinema: 

 1. Popsy called from the US just to greet me and he even guessed that I was watching the Shopaholic movie. Popsy, you really know me so well.  Miss you!

2. My former GSIS MDP partner, Deity, called from Dagupan. He remembered and I was so touched! Buds, kakaiba ka talaga! See you when we go surfing next month!

3. One of my crushes texted me and greeted me a happy birthday. I definitely melted! Whoever was his little bird who spilled the beans, he/she must be my angel. *kilig*

Those moments, I consider my 4th set of gifts that day.  Afterwards, I received a phone call from my girlfriend who gave me the news that they liked my article and that I got accepted as a staff writer for their travel magazine. The same girlfriend also told me that they are offering Peter and I associate producer positions for a certain production company. Wow!!! That nearly knocked me off my feet! What a wonderful 5^thgift! I would have to think about all of these offers but still…! All the excitement got me tired and my wounded knee was starting to ache so I asked Peter to bring me home where we cuddled the rest of the evening while watching Underworld II until I fell asleep.   I consider that my 6^th and best gift. Just to be able to spend my whole birthday with the man I love is priceless in itself.  Then what do you know, the following day, I found out that the video application I submitted for The Best Job In The World Ad got accepted! Wow!!! I now have a chance to become Queensland tourism’s ambassador. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for that! A truly magnificent 7^th gift. 

Then, as an extension to my birthday, Peter and I again spent the following day together, right after another big job interview. We had a scrumptious breakfast  at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in Greenbelt, had COLD ROCK ice cream (forest berry mixed with rhum & raisins) inside the cinema while watching HE’s JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU, got a free Bacardi drink coupon, dined at  Travel Cafe Philippines which offers the most mouth watering chicken adobo  I have ever tasted ever (Chef’s Adobo — liver rolled in chicken) and the most unique of all buko recipes (Pansit Buko — with assorted veggies and huge pieces of shrimps), and finally met up with a girlfriend at Murphy’s to talk with the travel magazine’s owner for a staff writer and assistant editorial position. It  was all so euphoric and unexpected.  And last but not the least, to be able to feel content, happy, loved and hopeful amidst everything that is happening in the entire world. That in itself is already unbelievably precious.

I got huge butterflies in my tummy before the interview. Having coffee was a bad idea.

 

Eggs Ben, Sausages & Toast  made me feel a lot better.

3pm lunch at Travel Cafe Philippines in Greenbelt — Chef’s Adobo & Pansit Buko:

At 31, I can say that I have matured far beyond my years, I have conquered my materialistic side and I am continuously growing and prospering as a person.  My new goal this year is to conquer what’s left of my weaknesses. I want to learn how to drive, enroll in a formal swimming class, get PADI scuba diving certification, try out windsurfing, set up three businesses and start planting vegetables.  (Go home! Plant kamote! Teehee!) ^_^

Thank you, God, for everything! Happy 31^st birthday to me!