More post birthday fun ;)

Lookie, lookie who are at the website of Heineken Singapore? :P

Well during my fun birthday night at Ministry of Sound club, some Heineken ladies asked to have our picture taken with them.

Quite funny because it looked like we were endorsing this beer but actually we were drinking vodka cranberry. Plus, I actually have an allergic reaction to Heineken beer (I drank some a few months ago, just half a mug, and the following morning I had a headache and rashes!) :P

Post birthday thoughts

It's almost been a week now since my birthday but I can still feel the magic of that day. To think that I almost dreaded turning 28 because it felt a big deal to me to cross into another age group, the late 20's.

What's the big deal? Well, it means I am one year past the age that I wanted to get married; That I will be just two years shy from becoming 30, and in my ideal plan by age 30 I would've wanted to have two children. But obviously, things don't always go as planned. Like even if you are so confident about your plans like I was when I envisioned this plan 10 years ago, there is no absolute certainty it will happen. To illustrate, a couple of days ago I had a chat on Yahoo Messenger with the man I had envisioned this plan with. We were talking about the upcoming wedding of a common friend (his best friend, actually) to his girlfriend of 9 years and since we had been witness to the beginning of their love story because it happened during the time we had also just started our relationship, we could not help but reminisce some memories we had as well. An interesting part of our conversation went something like this:

Me: ...so they're getting married on their 100th monthsary..it was also my idea back then, i even had a countdown on my planner...

Him: yeah, I was 99% sure then that you're the one I was going to marry.

Me (trying to be funny): hey, why 99% only? where's the 1%?

Him: This.

Indeed. We wouldn't be having that conversation if things went 100% as planned. We only reached the 58th month but no regrets, for in those I will remember a lot of good memories. Unlike that with he-who-must-not-be-named-ex which until now I wish could be completely erased from my memory.

Anyway, before I start eating ampalaya* here, let me go back to my birthday...

My birthday night turned out into something more than I expected. Fish & Co. at The Glass house was the perfect place. I was all smiles when I arrived at the place and saw that it was all lit up and glittering. The staff were all so nice as always. I had a great seafood platter dinner with my friends plus I got a birthday cheer from the Fish & Co staff. As a custom for birthday celebrators there I was asked to stand up on my chair, wear a jester's hat, and hold a lighted sparkler while they sang the Happy birthday cheer. Then I made a wish before I blew the candle on my birthday icecream scoop they gave me....And just when I thought that the my birthday dinner will conclude my special moment, when me and my friends walked towards the bus stop, I was amazed to see that Orchard road looking magically pretty with all its pretty lights. Then I had quite an extraordinary night when we went to Ministry of Sound for some dancing. I really, really enjoyed the night (or shall I say, until the wee hours of the morning ;-) I was all smiles when I got home, and I smiled even more upon seeing another bouquet of flowers, pink roses from my second family: Dad, Mom and Grandpa Hickmon.

Until now the feeling of being so special is still there, as my heart warms continuously from all the thoughtful gestures that my friends and family did for me. Besides all that I have already mentioned, I'd like to add that phonecall from Maebs, one of my best friends since highschool, the touching blog entries of Aoisoba and Omaritosan, the birthday card and silver earrings from Aoisoba (sent all the way from Ireland!), and unexpected birthday greetings sent thru my friendster account. These all made me feel closer to my family and friends and made me be in touch again with those I have not been in touch with lately.

Thank you very, very much to everyone, my very dear family and friends, for making me feel so blessed.

After notes:

>>Orchard road was officially lit up on my birthday night (ehem)

>>A good friend of mine found something he's been waiting for on my birthday (winks to Chuvanescense ;)

*******

*Ampalaya - Tagalog term for the vegetable bitter gourd / bitter melon

Coffee and the VIP

17 November 2007

5:36pm

TCC, The Atrium

Orchard Road, Singapore

So yes, it's my special day. I am wearing a nice dress. I am wearing a little make up plus my usual jewelries and perfume. My hair is on a half pony tail with a gold clip. I feel pretty, yay! :)

I am waiting for the margarita coffee that I ordered. I look around and I see a lot of young cadets assembling and forming a line to welcome someone. I wonder who it is...

My margarita coffee is served, in a cute martini glass, some salt around the tip of the glass. I wonder how it tastes, hmmmnnn...I take a sip using the thin straw, mmm, nice. The mix of baileys, kahlua and espresso coffee is perfect! I take a sip again,but this time, not using the straw, so I taste the tip of the glass...it's not salt but sugar! Sweet! :P

I am waiting for 7pm, when I will be having dinner with my good friends here. I decide to do some thinking to pass some time and I think about how I am having a very nice day so far -- waking up at 10am to receive a beautiful flower arrangement and balloons delivery from my family in the Philippines; birthday brunch of tuyo, danggit fried bangus, fried eggs and lots of rice with housemate Uly; getting a birthday gift from my housemates; the nice jewelry box as birthday gift from my colleague yesterday plus the birthday lunch treat in a Thai resto by another colleague (my lunch buddy); the birthday workout at the gym earlier this afternoon, where the staff greeted me a happy birthday upon returning my membership ID; the birthday text messages I have been getting since last night plus the phone calls I received; calling home this morning to speak with my family...

I think about ordering another drink as I finish my margarita coffee. I am thinking of getting another liquer-spiked coffee but I order for a blue mountain coffee instead (their "very best" coffee here, I'd say it's their most expensive! :P) I wouldn't want to go to my birthday dinner already tipsy, would I?

I look around, the young cadets are still lined up and their officers are starting to get a bit tensed, perhaps it means the VIP's arrival is nearing. I still wonder who it is.

My blue mountain coffee is served. It is on a little white cup with black stripes and on a black saucer, and with two little cookies on the side. I wonder how good it tastes so I sip a little without any sugar or milk on it. Mmmmnnn, it is ok, not bitter. The smell reminds me of the countryside, of vegetables! Yes, it's weird but it is!

Now I add two sugars and a little milk, the I sip. Hmmnn, I think I should have added just one sugar. I pop one of the cookies in my mouth. I look at my watch, it's 6:20pm, I better hurry and finish my coffee. The VIP has not arrived still and I am wishing he/she arrives before I leave. I take a big gulp of my coffee then I take the other cookie but this time I bite just one half....sip more coffee, then eat the remaining half of the cookie.

It starts to get dark, the lights in this cafe' are switched on. I take more gulps of my coffee until I drink all of it. Then I turn around and ask for my bill at the waitress. She hands me the bill after a minute (that's so fast!). She asks if I am from the Philippines. I answer yes and asks her how she knows. She says she just figured so. I hand her my credit card and membership card. She explains that both cards entitle me to a discount but I can only use one of the two. She advise that I use my membership card because it will also give me rebate points. I agree. She goes to the cash register. I look around and see that the cadets are dispersing. Aaaack!!! I missed the arrival of the VIP!?!?! :(
The waitress comes back with the receipt for me to sign. She tells me I have S$7.60 worth of points as of now and that I can use it on my next visit. I thank her. She is nice. I look around again and see the cadets sitting nearby. It seems they were just practicing and the VIP has not arrived?

It's 6:35pm now, I better get going. It's time for my birthday dinner. (Weee!!!)

I may not know who the VIP is, but I think I'll just leave it as thinking that the VIP is........me!!! :)

Encore: Oui! Oui! Oui!

et j'ai pensé que j'ai échoué à mon examen (whew!)

c'est un miracle!