My Birthdays

Every year on my birthday I have so much fun and wish the day would never end.
There's so much laughter and food and singing and dancing and picture-taking!
My friends here really work hard leading up to the celebrations to make sure that my party turns out fabulous and more importantly, to make me feel loved.
I feel so blessed every year that I don't mind being older.
But at the back of my mind, I always have this fear that my party will bomb, or at least won't be as fun as the year before.
But I am always proved wrong, because every year it turns out to be more fun, more meaningful, more boozy and more ... fun!
So for now I am holding on to the memories of my last party until my next one rolls around.
Maybe it's time to produce my own concert on my next birthday.
It's my only chance to have one really. Remember, the world will end in December 2012?

Pinoy Table Manners

Oh my gosh, this is so true. He is so annoying but he's got all the quirks and mannerisms right.
And yes, I do everything he illustrates in the video, except eating banana and rice together.

Traditional Filipino Courtship.

I hope this still exists.
How sweet!

Tatay

Tatay, you will be missed.

Thank you for every thing you have done to make life better for us.

For teaching Mama how to drive.

For picking up Daniella, Carlo and me from school.

For treating my wound when I got bitten by April the crazy dog.

For cooking talbos ng kamote for Daniella.

For watching Jesus Christ Superstar with us.

For caring for Carlo's dog.

For running errands for all of us.

For always taking every thing in stride.

And most of all, thank you reuniting your children, who had not been okay before you passed away. No, we are not mourning your death, but celebrating a life lived meaningfully, and a honoring a selfless man who possessed nothing but lived as if he had everything he needed in life.

I love you Tatay.

No. No. No.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDakFfLQDF4&feature=fvwrel

The 30 Day Bikram Yoga Challenge

I feel great!
Fifi and I agreed to take on the 30-day at the only Bikram yoga studio in Dubai.
We've been doing Bikram for over 2 years, but never regularly.
So in a way this is going to be a first for us.
Thirty straight days of non stop stretching, flexing, breathing, intense movement and sweating.
It is going to be great.
Last evening I already felt the difference in my body - all stretched out, energized, detoxified and refreshed.
My acne subsided a little bit, and I imagine by the end of the month it's going to feel and look a lot better.
This is going to be super awesome.
What a great way to take advantage of Ramadan timings!

A very touching song.

Haha. Nerd is the new hunk. Why not.

I feel better after reading all those acne-related forums online.

It turns out, a lot of people get cystic acne after quitting smoking.

It's the body's way of detoxifying and getting it used to a nicotine-free system.

I am happy that I finally quit. It has been more than a month and I feel fine.

I don't crave it, and I am pretty sure I will forever be against it.

Now back to my acne. I am trying to ignore the fact that it is getting severe.

I am on medication and I am positive that I will see miraculous results in a month or two, but for now it is really hard to look at my face in the mirror and say "You are beautiful".

I have always been very confident, and when I go out I always think that acne doesn't exist.

But there are times like today when it really gets to me and I just really want to disappear, and resurface when my face is clear again.

Oh well. Patience is a virtue.

It took a great deal of patience to kick the bad habit.

A little more to wait for my skin to heal is nothing.

Bow.