Ruminations on Ali’s First Birthday Party

Just this weekend, I attended another first birthday party.  That of my grandnephew, Ali.  Ali’s first birthday celebration was a little grand and over-the-top: servers were in costumes; food served was buffet style part of which was a roasted calf; there was a funny magician who performed; the dinosaur-theme set-up was ostentatious; alcoholic drinks as post-party celebration for the adults were overflowing; and, there was even a fantastic fireworks presentation.

happy birthday ali !!!

a colorful fun day!

super fun with friends & relatives

I no longer can recall how many times I have attended a first birthday party in the past.  And consistently, since a one year old baby has no concept of birthdays and parties, the baby-celebrator is clueless and has zero idea why everyone is congregating for such a day. 

It will make you wonder if such celebration was really about the baby or is it really about and for the people that surround him.  I guess, the latter seem to be the correct answer to this question.  It is indeed for and about the people who helped and will help the baby to grow happy and healthy.  And it is most especially for the parents (in Ali’s case my niece Thatcher and nephew-in-law Alexis) who seem to celebrate for not screwing up and being successful in their first year with the cute and adorable child.

a job well done…

The child may have received all the gifts, but it is the parents and the people who surround the celebrant who receives all the hugs, the love, the praises and the encouragements as expressed and delivered by all the guests who attended.

I am pretty sure, Ali’s parents (and like any other parents) had numerous uncertainties and frustrations in the past year.  I am also pretty sure, both Thatcher and Alexis had several worries and anxieties from crying outbursts to bottle rejections.  Some hurdles were conquered by mere luck while others were resolved by experience.  And oftentimes, snags and obstacles were resolved thru the assistance of family or friends.  Thus, the first birthday party of any baby is indeed a salute and celebration for the parents and the people who surrounds the child.

pose of the day

I was given the opportunity to give a short talk during the party.  I was able to give my warmest birthday wishes for the adorable Ali.  I was able to greet a beautiful afternoon to all the attendees. I however, failed to congratulate Ali’s parents.  So let me take this opportunity to express my warmest felicitations and compliments to Thatcher & Alexis for a job well done.

Boosted!

After close to two years of inertia, liberation seem to loom & bloom.  Covid cases in my people-filled and densely populated country is now starting to drop.

injection gives me the creeps! so obvious is this photo. haha!

 Unlike tennis superstar Novak Djokovic, I guess my government should thank me for being so cooperative, participative and supportive.  Last month I had my vaccine booster shot which was six months after I had my complete double dose of Covid vaccines.  Having my booster shot gave me confidence and a massive sigh of relief that at least I won’t die from this silly epidemic.

Keep your mask on everyone, freedom and deliverance seem imminent and forthcoming! We will all soon take it off. Excited to hug everyone! Woohoo!

A Beautiful Last Day of 2021

The last day of 2021 was a huge day for me.  It was one day where I got to spend a beautiful New Year’s Eve celebration with my family and at the same time being hopeful for a gorgeous year ahead.  My last day of 2021 even became more beautiful when I got the chance to visit a church so as to do a pint-sized prayer.

After realizing that my family does not have any sparklers to ignite and party poppers to snap during New Year’s Eve, me, Joy (my younger sister) accompanied by our nephew Gabby decided to head outside to purchase ourselves with some inexpensive hand-held “luces” (sparklers) and party poppers.

gabby took this beautiful photo of the church at night time (last night of 2021)

Our hunt for these sparklers enabled us to reach one of the most admired and prayed-upon churches in my country, the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, also known locally as Baclaran church.  Since we were able to luckily purchase our much-needed sparklers and party poppers along the gates of the church, we decided to drop by inside so as to light some candles and say our little prayers.

As usual, I lighted 5 candles. I have the habit of lighting 5 candles each time I have the chance to do it in a church or any grounds intended for prayers.  Let me reserve in my future writing what each candle symbolizes except for one.  One of the candles is an intended prayer for me: my soul, my future, my welfare, my life’s appreciation and of course my sanity. Haha!

joy & I on baclaran church grounds

lighting candles & prayers for everyone

That one candle was also intended for my personal wish in the coming year and that is to be a little sunshine for everyone who I get to encounter, may it be through personal encounter or through my substandard and tawdry writing. 

Happy New Year and may every one of us be a little sunshine to someone this year!

You’ll Gonna See Me Rise!

It’s my birthday week this week and it made me ponder if at my pretty old age I have been “successful”.  But while ruminating about this thought, I question “what is the actual measure of success?”  Is it the accumulated amount of money that you have in your bank account, is it the number of people you meet and developed as friends and colleagues, is it the intensity of one’s joy and happiness, is it the level of spirituality of one’s soul or is it simply the degree of one’s contentment about life.

you’ll gonna see me rise

I have lost my youth more than 20 years ago yet I still struggle to answer this question.  A lot of you I would assume would say that it is a mix of all these stuff that I mentioned.  And I am pretty sure that I will grow old, be outdated and senile yet will never be able to answer this profound question.  But this will not stop me from trying to reach my goals, dreams and aspirations so as to consider myself successful.  No matter how old and late I am in my life, I will not stop for I know that I will rise.

No silly wish this year but let me have a beautiful birthday song instead.  Created by Calum Scott entitled “Rise” is my Birthday Song this year.

Love you all!

Something Good

I recently received a wedding invitation from a good friend.  While he proudly tells that I am the first one to have received a copy of the actual invitation, we discussed details of what is to happen and where he and his wife-to-be are in their stage of planning and organizing their big event.  I particularly was engrossed with his answer when I asked him what songs to be played or songs to be sang during his wedding. 

a super cool wedding invite from jb & irene!

It then dawned in me though seem farfetched and unreal circumstance in trying to answer the same question.  What would be the songs to be played in my own wedding if in case?  To be specific, what specific song would be played during the wedding while I walk down the aisle?

My brain seems to have a ready answer to this silly question.  No need for research, no need for review and no need for discussions.  My brain’s ready answer to this is Something Good (the Jonathan Groff version). Listen!

got my would-be simple wedding cake too! mwahaha!

One problem though that I need to resolve.  I need to find the one whom I should get married to! Haha!  And while I await the melodramatic arrival of “the one”, let me continue my doing “something good” on the days and years to come.

Valentines: Got Myself an Ice Cream

Like Rock Hudson who promised that he would treat himself for an ice cream if he gets the acting-role he first-time auditioned for, I too promised myself in the past that I would treat myself for an ice cream in case I finally found my “significant other”.

smiling today! haha!

I am writing this because it is Valentine’s Day today, the day of hearts, the day of love and the day to celebrate with a “significant other”.  Unlike other Valentine Days in the past where I would just stay indoors, be quiet, sometimes be cranky and do nothing, I this year mustered a lot of chutzpah to be seen in public. 

With testicles the size of asteroids, I stepped out, I went out and smiled outdoors!  I decided to be cheery and light-hearted!  A good amount of it was spent in my office so as to beat a deadline, shop at the biggest people-infested mall for larger-sized shirts because I’m getting plumper and do a little grocery at a nearby hypermarket.  Included in my grocery haul was a pint of ice cream.

Yup, I decided to treat myself today for a big calorific amount of ice cream.  You may be wondering now if I finally find my “significant other”.  Let me answer it then…

ice cream!!!

Did you know that Rock Hudson went to his nearby diner and ordered for an ice cream despite knowing that he was not chosen for the acting role that he auditioned for?   Though sad and down he was nevertheless was full of hope.  Rock Hudson treat himself for a big goblet of an ice cream because he was proud of the courage he showed during the first time he auditioned.  

I got the strawberry flavor!  Happy Valentines everyone!

Should Have Sang Don’t Stop Me Now!

my mom, my sister & me with the deadly bangs!

What are some of the songs you were exposed to during childhood?  Like Zoey Clarke of the musical tv series, I got quite a lot. Try recalling your childhood playlist.  It is believed that the songs and music you heard during your early years, in some bizarre way, shapes your personality today.  But do you have a song that you regret not singing during your carefree childhood?  I got one.

I can lucidly remember during my elementary days every time our teacher is suffering from a terrible migraine, a cruel dysmenorrhea or bouts of laziness to teach, she would robotically call for a “program”.  A “program” is a short spontaneous talent presentation inside the classroom in which the teacher would assign the class President to act as the emcee and call out the class Sergeant at Arms to list the names of students on the blackboard who has gone talkatively noisy during the program.  These raucous students whose names are listed on the board will later be castigated by the teacher when she’s feeling better.

This brief talent presentation would always comprise of singing, storytelling or rendition of a poem.  I don’t know why the patriotic yet very boring song “Ako Ay Pilipino” (translation: I Am Filipino) is always performed by someone.  Other Filipino 70’s classics were also commonly sung during a program, the likes of Mamang Sorbetero, Mr. DJ, ABaKaDa and Bato Sa Buhangin.  Another habitual and regular number presented is the rendition of the classic poem Trees by Joyce Kilmer.

my love for hugging trees may be attributed to my constant early development hearing of the joyce kilmer poem

Each time I am called to perform, I am prepared to either sing a song or tell a story.  I no longer remember the number of times I would tell the tale about the Alamat ng Mangga (translation: The Legend of the Mango Fruit) or the Alamat Ng Pinya (translation: The Legend of the Pineapple). 

I seldomly sang.  But when I am coerced to croon, the usual song that I would sing is not a Filipino-melody but from Annie’s “Tomorrow”.  Yup, bet your bottom dollar, I can hit those high notes when I was a kid!  I love the message of hope that Tomorrow conveys, but I have one regret though.  Back then, I should have studied and memorized Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now. And added it to my very limited repertoire. Haha! 

This song could have been so appropriate because it’s singing and storytelling at the same time! Aside from its fun and exuberance, it also conveys self-worth and self-regard.  For sure, singing Don’t Stop Me Now would give further head ache to my teacher and my singing could have been such a show stopper!  And since the tune is super bouncy, I am pretty sure at the end of my singing, every body’s name is listed on the blackboard.

This View Made Me Hum

Last night while seated and sipping tea at my balcony with this view…

dreamy…

I started humming an old song sang by Drew Barrymore in her movie with the lines that goes something like this…

                I’ve been watching but the stars refuse to shine

                I’ve been searching but I just don’t see the signs

                I know that it’s out there

                There’s got to be something for my soul somewhere

I guess I should stop sitting out in my balcony at dusk, this awesome view is making me mushy, sappy and crazy. Haha!

Ramblings On Gorgeous Looking Koreans on TV

I am again stuck, jammed and fixed over a Korean TV series.  And the stars of Start Up – the Korean TV I am baffled with – are just seriously gorgeous.  They seem to have been blessed by the angels and kissed by the heavens to possess flawless radiant skin, fit physique and impeccable angelic faces.  They are beautiful!

Nam Joo-hyuk… beautiful even when asleep!

Bae Suzy… loads of pretty-ness!

My niece is five months pregnant now.  Here in the Philippines we have the strong cultural notion and belief that during conception, the baby’s physical attributes is strongly influenced by the mother’s habitual activities and mental state during pregnancy.  We indiscreetly believe that there is a direct correlation between what the pregnant mother usually eats and perceives with that of the physical attributes and personality of the baby when born. 

I in particular, when my mom was pregnant on me, according to her, she irrationally craved and would usually gobble bowls of coconut milk in one seating.  That is why she was not surprised when I was born my skin was a little lighter as compared to my siblings and fairer than the usual brown-chocolate Malay-Pacific Islander race.  One letdown though, I have attributed my having very oily skin to the  coconut milk loading exploit of my mom during her pregnancy. 

Yeah, unlike the flawless epidermis of Korean stars seen on Netflix whose sweat glands seem to secrete glitters, I suffer from oily skin when I grew up. My face is so oily it could launch another Gulf War on the planet!

the skin that can launch another oil dispute on the planet! Hahaha!

And now that my niece is pregnant, we would often persuade her to spend most of her days watching Korea novelas (also known as K Dramas) with the hopes that her baby would look super gorgeous.  But I know for sure that no matter how my soon to be grandniece or grandnephew would look and behave, he/she would be well loved and cutely gorgeous in his/her own way.  His or her having flawless radiant skin like those gorgeous Koreans would just be but an awesome plus factor.

Those Koreans are so gorgeous!

Wishing Heaven Got Visiting Hours

There was a simple gathering at my mom’s house last night.  Me & my sister brought a cake while my mom cooked our family’s favorite dish.  It was my dad’s supposed 80^th birthday. Had one desire though yesterday.  How I wish God allows visiting hours in heaven.

My mom & dad.

Happy 80^th birthday Tatay Joe!