AWEFULL

Last week, I celebrated my 26th birthday. Like some of you know, I used to celebrate special occasions with my friends coz my family is not here with me. My parents are based abroad and my 2 siblings already have their own lives (my sister had just given birth while my brother’s preggy girlfriend is nearing her due so I wasn’t expecting that they’d come over and celebrate with me)

So how did my birthday go about?

Last Saturday, July 31, I went out with a friend supposedly to watch his friend’s gig at Moomba along Mother Ignacia (I didn’t bother to invite my other friends coz we went out the night before). Unfortunately, there was a private function at Moomba that we had to wait for a couple of hours before we can come in and watch his friends perform. So we transferred to Panggo’s (Morato) to watch a gig (his friend’s again). I am so not used to being with a guy anymore and we already ran out of things to talk about so I asked GB and our barkada if they can come over to join us. Good thing, they have already recharged and was ready to hang out again. And so they came.

It became some sort of “salubong” for my birthday and I was happy coz they sang a birthday song for me, even greeting me on stage.

Caca, JC, Kyle, Kuya Glenn, Jimmy, AC, Lei

GB, Caca, JC, Kyle, Kuya Glenn, AC, Lei

that's GB singing "Englishman in New York"

Yeah, it was a salubong coz…

After getting intoxicated by alcohol, we decided to have “pares” at Bestfriends along Aurora in QC.

Two things that made me smile on our way to the parking lot: (1) there was a car drifting along Morato (My friend was able to take video of it, too bad I didn’t get a copy from her); (2) After almost a decade I received white roses (there was a flower vendor at the street, I didn’t realize that my boys bought some until they gave the flowers to me)

We called it a night after having “midnight” snack at Bestfriends while laughing to JC’s silly questions on why a certain meal costs 61 pesos.

He was bugging a waiter while saying this..

“Eh baket ba kase 61pesos pa? Para saan yung piso? Pwede namang 65 diba? O Kaya 60? Baket 61 pa?”

He was asking that over and over (he’s makulet when he’s drunk) while leaving us puzzled.. onga noh, baket 61 pesos pa? Hahahaha!

PS: GB gave me this gift with a heartwarming note. I love it coz he’s not used to giving material things but he had something special for me.

Isn’t he the sweetest friend?

Last night, I excitedly checked my FB account coz I wanted to see all those birthday greetings on my wall. Yeah, I’m a Facebook addict and proud of it.

I was right, I saw several greetings but this one stood out and made my tears fall.

It was from Che, our (Amae & I) bestfriend.

Here it is (she even included a video, it’s beautiful.. listen to it if you like) :

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my dear anna..
who would never get tired of convincing me to change wardrobe..haha
who would lovingly give up her sleep to keep me company..
who would be brutally frank when i need to shake back to reality..
who would unselfishly share everything and everyone she has to make me feel loved..
who would have a totally different view from mine, but would respect the person i am and that the decision i will make..
who made a dream of having a best friend in its strictest sense come true.
this day has brought me one of the greatest reasons to fell grateful i am alive.

happy birthday banana. i heart you always and forever.

ON THE SIDE OF ME (Corrinne May)

I’m not the easiest person to love
I’m often the one who lets things go unresolved

Yet you choose to be
On the side of me
On the side of me
Yet you choose to be on the side of me
On the side of me

I’m not too proud of some things
I’ve done in my life
The skeletons in my closet
Are too big for me to hide

Yet you choose to be
On the side of me
On the side of me
Blessed Charity
You’re on the side of me
On the side of me

‘Cause everyone needs a friend to hold
When it’s cold outside
And there’s no place to go
Everyone needs a friend to hold
All alone I cried
There was no place to go
I remember when nobody cared
But you

I’m not the easiest person to love
But you, you’ve opened your heart to show me what I’m worth

‘Cause you choose to be
On the side of me
On the side of me
What a mystery
You’re on the side of me
On the side of me

‘Cause everyone needs a friend to hold
When it’s cold outside
And there’s no place to go
Everyone needs a friend to hold
All alone I cried
There was no place to go

I remember when nobody cared
I remember when nobody cared
Nobody cared
But you…

Yeah you choose to be
On the side of me
On the side of me

You already know her, right? She’s one of the constant contents of this blog — Amae. She just celebrated her 27th birthday last Wednesday, 28th of July.

It’s been tiring coz parties and celebrations are endless these days (Noelle’s and my birthday, too). I miss sleeping. Hahaha!

Oh well, let me just give you an overview of how we celebrated Amae’s birthday. Actually, we let her choose the place. Being the glam loving and posh that she is, she opted to dine out with us in the newly opened (and renovated) Chateau 1771 in Ortigas, particularly at Cafe 1771’s Winebar located at the old spot of Sidebar.

Okay, I think it’s a bit confusing so let me explain it to you.. Chateau 177 Group of Companies is composed of: Cafe 1771, which has the coffee shop at the first floor and the Winebar upstairs (that’s where we had dinner); Sidebar; and 1771 Sentro.

I came first to the restaurant coz she attended the mass first before coming to our dinner. When I came in, I was amazed coz I can no longer remember how it looked like when it was just Sidebar. The decors and furniture were truly fantastic.

Then Noelle & the birthday girl came next..

And the rest of Gogolosh (minus Nheng, Sugar & Dane)

As for the food, we got..

Salbacho Pizza

The Real Thing (seriously, it's called that way.. but its Alfredo)

Salmon Lasagna

Lemon Chicken

Sandwich na ubos na

I highly recommend the Salmon Lasagna. It was really good. You won’t even realize that it’s fish pasta coz it doesn’t have “malansa” (foul smell) aroma. The Real Thing is also good, I guess you can never go wrong with “the real thing” hahaha! I didn’t get to taste the sandwich while the Lemon Chicken is too sweet for my taste buds. As for the pizza, if you’re familiar with Sidebar’s Salbacho Pizza, that’s it.

After eating, instead of the usual beer or cocktails (and since it’s a Winebar), we opted to drink wine. A sparkling bottle of white wine.

Though the place may look sosyal and all, it’s not really that pricey compared with other restaurants of the same atmosphere. I didn’t get to see the price per item but we paid for like almost PHP3,000 including that bottle of wine. Not bad, isn’t it?

Happy birthday, Amae! Cheers!

After pigging out at Oakwood and visiting Gabee for the first time, we tried something new again — Lasertag. We played at Lazermaxx in Greenhills. This is located at the roofdeck of Greenhills Shopping Center, along with Greenhills Badminton Center. A game (15minutes) costs PHP190 per head.

Lasertag is like a war game, some kind of paintball or airsoft minus the “violence”. It is more technologically advanced, though, as it involves the use of a hand-held infrared-emitting targetting device (gun). It can be done individually or as a team. We were 19 players, split into two teams.

RHASTA - Jejemon na Rasta

Before the start of the game, we watched a video on how to play as well as the Do’s and Dont’s. After briefing, we went straight to an area to choose our gears. When I chose my gun, my friends and I laughed coz the name that I got was Rhasta, coincidental (okay, okay.. inside joke.. sorry )..

Aside from the “gun”, we also wore something like a vest. Those vests are infrared-sensitive.

Si Rubi nag-Lasertag (2nd from right)

Although I watched the video, I still didn’t get the rules on how to play it. I just did what I felt like doing. Shoot. Hide. Run. Shoot. Run. Hide. Something like that.

I initially thought 15minutes isn’t enough for this game. But man, I wanted to quit at the middle of the game coz I was dead tired. I was sweating like hell and my legs were already in pain. Signs of aging. Tsktsk.

But I think it’s a good and quick exercise coz in 15minutes you will sweat a lot (coz of the venue as well — dark and a bit hot in there)

nag-SAUNA

After the game, we viewed our scores and we were given our scorecards.

See, I’m such a loser when it comes to this kind of game (probably coz we didn’t know the term “strategy”). Out of 19 players, I was the 16th. I got a very low score. But I was still happy coz Amae was the 18th. Bwahahha!

It was really tiring (but so much fun) that we ended up pigging out again at Savory.

We saw each other again last night after more than 2 months, he was with the new girl.

I didn’t know that he was coming coz he isn’t active in the group anymore. He doesn’t hangout with our barkada anymore. Hence, I was surprised when I saw a familiar face near the stage when I walked into the bar. GB told me, “Nandito si Nace ha, di ko na sinabi sayo kase baka di ka pumunta..”

When I learned about his presence and when everything sank in, I joined the comics in the VIP room. I was touched when Ryan asked me to sit beside him. He gave me a hug and said, “Akong bahala sayo sister, di kita papabayaan.” (he really knew what’s playing in my head). I smoked a stick, trying to keep my composure. Fortunately, I did. I was fine. Until Amae decided to join the rest of the audience.

Being the bitch that she is, Amae sat at a table right in front of the stage. While he and the rest of his doctor friends (including the girl) were seated at our favorite/regular spot. It was just a few feet away from us so I had a clear view of them.

When it was time for him to perform, I started chatting with my friend. Haha! Oooops, I used to do that even when we were still together coz he isn’t funny at all. Hahaha! No bitterness whatsoever, he even asked me before why it seems that I never listened to his set.   He was performing right in front of me. Like I was just more than a meter away from him while he was doing his set. Awkward, isn’t it? Swear, I didn’t know whether to laugh at his jokes or just listen passively.

By the time the show ended, he was already wandering and greeted his/our friends including Amae who just celebrated her birthday. He greeted her a Happy Birthday.. but you know what’s even more surprising? He also greeted me an advanced Happy Birthday. I thanked him, of course. He sat beside me and started a conversation. He asked about my family, if my sister already gave birth, the upcoming wedding of my brother, my nephews, my colleagues, if I am still connected with this company, etc etc. We were laughing and smiling while talking to each other while the other girl was sitting at a nearby table and talking to another friend of them. In all honesty, all the laughter and smile I threw when we were chatting were genuine. But at some point, something pinched my heart coz he never knew how much my family and friends adore him. Yeah, I was devastated by the break up but it was them who felt the disappointment more than I did.

When I stood up to go to the restroom, he went back to his table with the girl. When I got back from the restroom, I went straight to talk to my other friends, including one of the bar owners. I saw in my peripheral vision that the girl was coming my way, they were about to leave (my friend and I were standing near the stairs/exit). She passed by me. But I didn’t get to see her face clearly, I didn’t feel like looking at her. She left the bar. Dr. Doom walked toward me, said his goodbye, hugged me and gave me a peck on the cheek. I smiled and said “ingat”

Most of the people there are our friends, even the bar owners and the staff. So being the bully that they are, they kept on teasing me. But it didn’t hurt like it was before. I just laughed and shrugged it off.

But when people left. I went to the restroom to fix myself. On my way there I saw GB. He hugged me. I hugged him back. Then I cried. I was kinda emotional coz I know how much my friends love me that they’re always there to cheer me up. To brighten up my day. To ease the pain. I thanked him coz they probably don’t know how grateful I am for having friends like them. They always make things bearable for me.

It was the first time that I saw my past love and his new love together in flesh. I’m happy coz I survived it with genuine smile on my face.

——————————–

PS: Pang-asar tong iPod ko, tama bang nakashuffle at tumugtog ang “One Last Cry”??? Hahaha!

But I feel like the more appropriate song for him is this:

And I’ll remember the strength that you gave me
Now that I’m standing on my own
I’ll remember the way that you saved me
And I’ll remember the love that you gave me
Now that I’m standing on my own
I’ll remember the way that you changed me

We have a love-hate relationship, but I hope you know that I tend to hate the people that I love.

And since it’s your 27th Birthday, I’m posting a list of things that annoy me most about you. I said the MOST coz if I will write down everything that I hate about you, the list will go on forever and ever. Amen. Haha!

Here goes my list (random lang yan)…

1. I hate you for always being late and for always saying “coming!” when in fact you’re just about to leave the house or worse – take a bath
2. I hate your being a procrastinator.
3. I hate you for being lazy taking a bath. You stink! Haha! Joooooke!
4. I hate you for being kuripot. Even if it’s your birthday today, I know you won’t pay for the bill later. Haha!
5. I hate you for being LOUD most of the time that we always get people’s attention. You know me, I am a peace loving and quiet person. Ayoko ng limelight. Hihi..
6. I hate that you are so beautiful and gorgeous and I always look like your nanny everytime we’re together. You add up to the reasons why my self esteem is so low. Nyahaha!
7. I hate your lips. It annoys me everytime you pout excessively. But I love them in some cases, like when you put Anne-ish lipstick whenever we have bonggacious party to attend to.
8. I hate your hips. Too big.
9. I hate your boobs. Too small.
10. I hate your hair. Messy.
11. I hate that you don’t exercise. You’re getting bigger and bigger.
12. I hate that you’re lazy walking. You take the cab instead of walking short distances.
13. I hate that you don’t know when to bring out your pride. If you don’t like the person, you won’t apologize even if it was really you who did something wrong. But when it comes to men.. arrrghhh.. you always eat your pride. As in always. Oh well, the things we do for love.
14. I hate you for always being RIGHT. You don’t know when you are wrong. Hahaha!
15. I hate you for being stubborn.
16. I hate you for always trying to get what you want even if it’s wrong.
17. I hate that you’re not a good listener coz everytime I/we speak, you tend to change the topic and your attention is easily caught by other things.
18. I hate that you always complain at work.
19. I hate you for being snooty (I know you’re aware of that)
20. I hate how you fall for the wrong guys. Really really really wrong.
21. I hate how SOME of your ex-boyfriends tried to fool around with me (naks.. yabang! Hahaha! Joke!)
22. I hate the fact that a few years ago you chose that asshole over me/us. IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
23. I hate how high you set your standards when it comes to men that you already forget what the reality is.
24. I hate your being too “schizophrenic” at times. Harhar!
25. I hate that sometimes you’re not aware of where to stand in a man’s life. I hate it everytime you act as if you own the guy.
26. I hate how you brought another monster in my life a few months back.
27. I hate that I love you so much that everytime I have a boyfriend I sometimes opt to be with you than spend time with him (ooops, I hope my FUTURE boyfriend won’t read this, he might get jealous.. hahaha feelingera lang ako!)

I know I’m too candid. I am always harsh on you. But despite being one tactless/rude/heartless person, you know you always have a bestfriend in me.

We have NOTHING in common. Probably it’s true that “UNLIKE POLES ATTRACT” coz that’s how we are.

And while I hate a lot of things about you, I know it’ll be outnumbered by the list of things that I love about you. I won’t write them anymore, coz having me write cheesy stuff like this already expresses my love for you.

Like Che said, you may haven’t found that “thing” (oo, bagay sya) yet but you are definitely blessed with the things/people that you truly need. I hope I’m one of those that make you a blessed person.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Kulot and I love you! (yuckkkkk… hindi ako to!!!)

After our Oakwood breakfast, we headed off to the hospital to visit my newest nephew, Gabriel Archangel Mangilin Lazaro (Gabee). My sister gave birth to him on July 23 before the clock hit midnight.

Gabee

Gabee

My supahfwends accompanied me coz they also wanted to see Gabee and his Kuya Mikee (Michael Archangel, now 2)

Kuya Mikee & Gabee

Mikee & Tita Che

Mikee & Tita Amae (his crush)

Prior to visiting Gabee at the nursery, we had a little playtime with Mikee in his Mom’s room. I just noticed that Mikee became more papansin than before. I guess kids also have instincts; probably he was thinking that he is no longer the baby in the family so he had to double his effort to get everybody’s attention.

See, maglalayas na yata sya..

But you know, he need not do that (making papansin).. coz he will always be our baby. I will forever adore him, the same way as I adore Gabee and Chelsea.. and also the soon to be born Marcailah (my brother’s daughter)

Sweet Love

My nephews/nieces are my happy pills. They wipe away all the irritation I feel toward my siblings (yes, I always get mad at them for some personal reasons)

I also want to have my own kids someday. When the right time (and man) comes… But for now, I’ll just settle with my nephews/nieces. After all, practice makes perfect (I’ll be a good mom someday, promise)