BLUR!
But now that i've been able to slow down and my mind has been able to digest everything that happened, these Bs definitely made my weekend a most memorable one.
BIRTH!
Kicked off the day by visiting one of my closest friends at Medical City. Elsie gave birth last Saturday, so I went to visit and see the newest addition to the Dormiendo family.
Welcome Marcus Jose!
He's such and adorable kid. The first time I saw him, it was amazing how he looked like a month old. He's big, with lots of hair, and his facial features were so well developed. Most often, babies look the same after birth, but little Marcus looked really distinct.
Marcus is Elsie and Mac's 3rd baby, after Gabriel Luis and Ella Beatrice. If memory serves me right, I was there during Elsie's 3 births, much like Shashie Friend. Same goes for all her kids' 1st birthdays. Elsie's family is pretty much like an extension of mine, that's why I'm so looking forward to Marcus' 1st birthday as well.
BARKADA 1!
After Medical City, I quickly went home because there was a lunch celebration at my sister's place. It was a despedida party for one of her best friends - Happy - who is leaving for the U.S.
When I got there, my sister's posse was complete. Way back in college, she had 3 super best friends who formed her barkada: Annalis, Carol and Happy. Now, Almost 20 years after they graduated, they're still together and act like college kids most of the time.
It's amazing how true friendships never age. Despite the distance, the changes in status, the ups & downs, true friends stand by each other and support each other. Not only that, they also hit each other on the head if they're doing something wrong, kick each other in the butt if they need a wake-up call, and give them a good slapping just to put their lives into perspective. True friends are there both for the good and the bad, and these girls have been there for each other for that.
When I look at the 4 of them all cramped in one couch, talking about everything from the latest fashion to the most recent bout of depression, it renews my faith in real friendship. And I'm sure that 20 years down the road, i'll still see these 4 girls the same way I'm looking at them now.
BIRTHDAY!
From Cubao, I rushed off to Makati to attend a Royal Celebration. Two of my favorite little royals were celebrating their birthdays and this was a "must not miss" event.
It was the birthday celebration of Prince Waji and Princess Jela - the adorable children of King Jeff and Queen Ninette. The party was held at this really nice place called Makati Park, and since it was my first time to go there, I almost got lost. Good think the cab driver had more bearings than me.
Prince Waji was dashing in his royal outfit: A princely white shirt, black pants, a royal red cape and a crown.
Princess Jela looked every bit a princess in her orange ball gown and tiara. I haven't seen her in 6 months, and she's grown so much. Last time I saw her in February, she'd let me carry her around. But because of the half-year gap, I'm back to being a "stranger" in her eyes. Here she is wondering: "who's the terrorist with the moustache?"
I've always been attracted to deep hues, that's why I loved the party venue. The table cloths were in rich, colored satin. There were silk lamps scattered around the venue, with colors varying from burgundy, emerald green, rust and deep navy. And the loot bags also echoed the same color scheme, making it so eye-catching! I just couldn't help but take a few photos.
One of the activities lined up for both kids and adults was a "make your own crown and mask." Jaybee and Reissa were manning the reception booth giving away white crowns and masks, and they had a wide array of decorative items to choose from. There were feathers, gems, beads, glitter glue, sequins and so many others. It was fun seeing both parents and kids working intently on their little projects.
Here's a sample of what the kids did. They were personalized crowns, each one carrying the name of the prince who owned it.
Of course, I got into the party spirit and started making my own mask. I snatched a couple of tubes of glitter glue, some beads and sequins, and a couple of feathers. Then I plopped down on one chair and started to work on it. Initially, I drew some diamond patterns, reminiscent of venetian masks. This was the main element of the design.
Then I started putting on a couple of beads, and a couple of sequins, giving it a bit of bollywood vibe. Then to cap it all off, I put three multi-colored feathers on the right side, and voila! It was a mask fit for a royal ball! I was so proud of my creation that I took photos and more photos. I never got to wear it, though, since the glue was still wet.
Onee, the party's host, was dressed like a jester. He was a great host because he really communicated with the kids without being too cutesy or irritating like some hosts and magicians i've seen before. The kids obviously enjoyed his balloon-twisting antics, and the "name that tune" game.
One thing that caught my attention was how he had a "text-in" game! He asked some questions about Waji and Jela, and he asked the audience to "text" him the answer. And the first message he receives gets the prize! While I was standing behind Jeff, I couldn't help but remark: "Wow! A text-in game at a birthday party. The SMS craze has really taken over everything!"
After a lot of games and dozens of excited kids shrieking, it was time for the other highlight of the party - the birthday candle blowing. Waji, being the party veteran, had an easy time blowing the candle. And like each and every party i've been to, all the kids wanted to get into the action and blow the birthday candle first. Good think Onee was there to rein in the kids.
As much as I wanted to stick around for the magic show, I had a couple more things to attend to, so I had to take a French leave and skitter off. Of course, I had to carefully wrap my royal mask and Ninette gave me a couple of royal goodies to bring home. On the whole, this birthday party really made me feel like royalty.
BALINGKINITAN!
From the party, I had to drop by the church to hear mass before my next appointment. While looking for a seat, I ran into Rodel, our former IT person. He approached me to say hello, then asked: "Sa E-Telecare ka pa rin ba nagtra-trabaho?"
**BUZZ** Wrong person!
After telling him that i'm not exactly the call center type, he realized he had me mistaken for someone else and said: "Uy, sorry Lester. Sa DY&R nga pala tayo nagka-work. Hindi ko agad naalala kasi may nagbago sa'yo." And this prompted me to ask: "Ano yon?" And he replied:
"Mas Balingkinitan ka ngayon."
Gosh! This is probably the first time in YEARS that I've heard that word again.
BARKADA 2!
After squeezing in a movie after mass, it was off to Metrowalk for the evening's biggest celebration - Grace's Homecoming! She's back! And I am supremely envious of her because she is.
It was more than a year ago when we both left for our overseas posting and now she's back. Life in Laos wasn't exactly to her liking, which isn't a surprise since she's always been a big-city type of girl. I actually admire her because if it were me living in Laos, I'd probably last 4 weeks and I'm off!
The funny thing about the get-together is where it was held. Bonique told me that we were meeting at this place called "Yahoo". Because we usually meet at a cafe/restaurant, my assumption is that Yahoo is within that category. So, I texted everyone to proceed to "Yahoo Cafe and Restaurant."
Imagine my surprise when I found out that Yahoo was a carinderia-esque Barbecue joint in Metrowalk. It was such a shell-shock to see my friends all sitting in a carinderia. Especially after seeing Tintin and Lezyl dressed so spiffily.
It's been 4 months since we've all gotten together like this. Too bad Maricar, Mona and Rona missed it. But the rest of D' Frendz were there: Alfie, Bonique, Grace, Tintin, Lezyl and Wena. It was also nice to see faces that we've haven't seen in a while, and people who we haven't been hanging around with lately, like Vince and Dip and Jeff. Work has been keeping them off the D' gatherings lately, but it was great to have them back on board.
Like most "balikbayans", Grace brought chocolates as pasalubong. The bag of Lindt chocolates were quickly devoured, and Bonique went home with the bag. But my favorite pasalubong was this pack of cigs that Grace bought in Laos. Which brings me to the last B of the evening.
BASTOS!
Yup, there's a cigarette brand called "Bastos." Eventhough no one smokes in our little circle called D' Frendz, she purchased a pack just for kicks. Needless to say, we all had a blast with that pack. I even ended up bringing it home! (Oops... I think I didn't tell Grace. I'm sure she's wondering where it went.)
The evening ended at around 11pm. Grace had to go home and meet her dad, and I had to go home and pack my things. Whilst I already had more than enough Bs that night, I'd best describe that Sunday with another B word. After spending quality time with family and friends, after witnessing Births and Birthdays, after being called Balingkinitan and seeing something Bastos, the day can be summed up as:
BLOCKBUSTER!
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