30, fabulous and grateful!

Today, I turned 30…yikes! I cant believe how time flies...yesterday, it was as if I was just your regular ordinary high school kid and now... errr, I am just your ordinary working girl! Dare I say NOT! hahaha

well I am... but in my mind and in my heart I'm an extra-ordinary woman who has lived an extra-ordinary life. (note the emphasis on "in my mind and in my mind" hehehe)

30 for me is like a milestone... a big LEAP on human life...on MY life!

I should and I AM thankful.

Before I started my “30” life I sort of treated myself with some good ‘ol Chinese (I think) cuisine. I bought my favorite Lemon Chicken, Fried Shark’s Fin Dimsum and Yang Chow Fried Rice. And since mom is sick, I bought some Super Congee just for her.

Lemon Chicken

(Breaded chicken with lemon sauce )

Fried Shark’s Fin Dimsum

(Shirmp and pork wrapped in siomai wrapper)

Yang Chow Fried Rice

(Egg fried rice with shrimps, chopped pork asado, carrots, and green peas)

BIRTHDAY DAY ITSELF.

I took a leave from work, as I wanted to enjoy the day without any hassles from the office. At first I thought I would be spending the day just lounging in my bed…as I have no planned agenda. Plus, everyone in the house is sick (they have flu) so I don’t really expect that much. The night before, I bought myself some mango cake. Why (you may ask), because I always equate birthdays with cakes. So for me, a birthday cannot NOT have a cake.

That’s it! That’s the whole birthday plan!

But my mom, (sick as she is went out—without my knowledge—and bought some ingredients forPasta Carbonara and even bought me some Mocha Cake Roll. ) I was really touched. She shouldn’t have exerted that much effort..but she said that I turn 30 only once. :D

my Carbonara...yum! cooked with love

Mocha roll cake

I received two more cakes: Green Tea Cake from our family friend, Tita Alice, and Nocciola Gateau cake from my sister-in-law.

Green tea cake from Tita Alice

Nocciola Gateau cake bought from Amici

Over all, I’m happy. Overall, life has been good to me.

I am thankful.

I am thankful for these:

1) I'm thankful to God--that's a given. You know my heart's desire Lord...thank you for all the blessings!

2) my parents.

Literally, without them, I won't be here. But I am not just thankful to them for my existence, I am most thankful for all the things they've done for me. The sacrifices they've made and the problems they've hurdled just so I can have a shot at life.

We were not financially rich, but they never made me feel I lack things in life. In fact, they've made me feel rich--at heart! Growing up, I have always felt loved.

One thing I'm proud about my parents is that they engraved in me the value of education. They often say that the only "inheritance" they can and will give us is our education. And I've seen them worked hard just to give us just the best kind of quality education a kid can get.

But most of all, I am thankful for their unconditional love. I'm not the greatest daughter a parent could have, but they surely made me feel like I have the bestest parents in the world! Sure, we don’t often see eye to eye, sure we had our "occasional" arguments, but I know, in the end that they will choose my side, that they got my back, that I have an ally in them in whatever battles I might encounter in the future. They never made me feel I’m alone. And for that kind of love that they've given and are giving me, I AM TRULY GRATEFUL FOR THEM.

(Ma, pa, if you're reading this... I LOVE YOU FROM MY BOTTOMLESS HEART. The love I have for you is indescribable, and I cry that I don’t get to say these stuff to you often...you always find it corny or cheesy when I say I love you...but you know what, I really do love you. I’d give the world to you both, if I can. You deserve so much more in this world, and I wish in the future I’ll be able to give back even just a fraction of what you've given me. I wish that you know that you are my life.)

3) my kuya

Yes you have a special spot in this blog entry brother! :D Why, you may ask when all our lives we live like we were cats and dogs—always fighting, always arguing. But you know what kuya, you're the greatest big brother a younger (sometimes bratty) sibling can have.

I remember snippets from our childhood—you were always annoyed with me when I try to tag along with your friends but always too, in the end, you allow me to be part of that small group of yours. I know that even if you were playing you kept one eye glued on me, because you're my kuya. because you're job was to look after me, and you did. Thank you!

I don’t know if I remember it by my actual memory of the incident or by countless recollection of our relatives... but this story has been etched in my brain. During that one dusk...I was running after you and your friends, and I fell flat on my face. My head hit something sharp on the ground and you looked back at me and saw me with blood gushing from my forehead. You went to me, took my arms over your shoulders, trying to get us both home. Trying to carry both our weights. You were so scared, so nervous as blood has already covered my eyes and you kept repeating "pitie, wag kang mamatay...pitie wag kang mamatay" ("pitie, please dont die, pitie dont die one me...") I was five back then, you were seven, but the memory was still clear, as if it happened yesterday. And every time I think about that day, I cry.
I cry because I felt your love. No other words during that time can best describe how important I was to you. And you are important to me to, kuya—my greatest big brother!

Plus, how can I not love you when you gave me a cutie niece and a sister-in-law! Hehehe I love you kuya!

4) My niece—clairebear

Claire, you're my constant source of happiness. My daily dose of reality. When things get heavy and world we live in becomes too complicated, I try to look at it in your eyes. The simplicity of things, the purity of one's soul, the good intention of people...

You're eyes are not yet tainted with first impressions, your heart has only goodness to exude, your spirit is still carefree.

You make me want to be a better person, for me to help build a better world for you to grow up in. You may not be my child, you may not come from my womb, but this I tell you, my heart belongs to you. You’ll forever be my baby...

5) family as a whole

I don’t want to put relatives in here as a category, coz the word "relatives" does not depict how closely knit we are! We are "family" in the truest sense of the word. I can always rely on you guys for support especially during those times I need them most! I know I can always count on you! :D

6) there are my childhood friends...

Funny, most of the peeps I grew up with were boys...mostly the friends of my brother. I can count them (YOU :D) too as my friends! (wala kayong choice!haha) You guys became my friend the moment you let me tag along with you whenever you play... but that was years ago. Now i hardly see you because you are all grown men! But just the same I’m glad to have met you and I’m lucky to have kuyas in you. Thank God for facebook, I re-connect with you guys again! :D

7) my elementary buddies and besties.

You know who you are but I’d like to name a few... Kukai and Marsha—my constant friends. Through thick and thin (well I grew thick and they grew thin! hahaha), in birth and lack thereof (they've already given birth to beautiful baby girls, I haven’t given birth, at all! hahaha), despite distance—one is living in antipolo, another in parañaque—we remain friends, good friends in fact. We may not call or text or correspond that much with each other but the sense of "closeness" remains the same. I love you girls! AND ALL THOSE ELEMENTARY BUDDIES I HAVE—GIRLS AND BOYS! (note: only recently did I reconnect with most of them and iloveeeet!)

8) the Blackbeauties.

You girls are the best! 14 years of friendship (and counting) is no joke! The distance was never an issue. Relationships with others did not tore us apart. We always are each others support system. The love I have for your girls is enormous! I love you!

9) KYLA, MAAN, RIA

What? 16 years???? You are the first few people I became close with as a freshman in high school. We’ve all hurdled the battle of being a “newbie”. You guys, I’d like to say, keep me grounded! I see all your achievements in life and I am amaze at how humble you are. You see things in deep appreciation. I love you!

10) DLSU buddies

College wouldn’t be the same without you. We may lack communication now, but you are a major part of my life. Thank you for the wonderful memories. Hope we could re-connect again. I know its partly my fault…I’m sorry! I’ll try to reach out! :D

11) BACKROW GIRLS

Gels, you’re are the GREATEST!!!!! I love you from my bottomless heart! You cannot imagine how I truly appreciate your existence. I love our laughters! I love our crazy ideas! I love how we can make things simple, despite all the complications! I love our friendship and how we strive to maintain its “youthfulness”. I love how we can handle things as a group. I love you! :D

12) ARELLANO PEEPS

What can I say to you guys? I simply am thankful that you helped me get through some toughest years in my life! I just hope we can bring back the old times! Because I missed you so much!

13) EMCI peeps

Thank you because you made me explore the world—literally and figuratively! Your ideas are the wackiest. And you always manage to keep things “real”! Let’s have more dinners/lunches… Let’s have more fun! “D

14) Work.

I'm thankful for my work! hahaha I may not love you all the time! But i'm guessing you're just an acquired taste...hoping sooner or later you'll come around!

30 years has been an adventure! And I’d love to have more adventures in the next more years!!!!

Cheers to good life!

prettytwistedchick