Simply Thankful (part II)

And so the Wish List result continues...

2. I Love You's

Thank you to everyone who called, sent email, sms and those who wrote comments on the wishlist post. I feel loved. Not only because I heard "I love you's" countless times, but because you all took time to say it or write it.

Ayeen, my friend since childhood, said the first "I Love You" on my birthday. I love you, too, girl. I appreciate your friendship and treasure it deep in my heart.

3. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Thanks, Myk!! I didn't open it 'til my actual birthday. My EQ's getting better.

4. A good cup of brewed coffee

Thank you Ces & Lally for my week's supply of Starbucks coffee. Hehe!!
Thank you, guys of Starbucks (Pearl Bank)! Loved the iced vanilla latte. =)

5. Be the first to make me smile on my big day.

My friend, Gio, went online an hour before midnight (morning, on his side of the earth) and kept me company til the clock hit 12. First happy birthday greeting! And I thanked him with my first big smile for the day.

6. Be the first to give me a bear hug!

The ever-present, Donnell, was at the lobby of my apartment at midnight and gave me a bear hug and cutsie patootsie balloons! Sorry you can't sweet talk the guards to let you in, dude. Hehe! Thank you for always keeping me company, my constant Starbucks bud.

7. First dance.

No fun! Nobody dared! I knew it! Hahaha!

8. A song dedicated to me.

Special Mention: Mr. Igor Babinski (from his little mansion in Bucharest)
Song: More Than You'll Ever Know
Message: This is so strange. Got this email right after midnight. Thank you, sir. I never thought people (other than my family and friends) actually read my blog posts. Hehe!

Hello ajambalos. Me is Igor Babinski. Me is from Russia from Bucharest. I read your blog in the internet. you is interesting specimen of human race. is your birtday today. happy birtday. i dedicate song to you. is american song. god bless american song. song is more than you ever know that was sing by michael ruff. nice song. i choose this song because you dont know me. so you will not know. is i correck? any matter, happy birtday to you. igor love you from my little mansion here in bucharest.

I.Babinski

Runner-Up: Janice Peralta

Song: Stuck in a Moment
Message: Thank you, Janice. Yup! I love love love this song. Bono rocks!

Happy happy birthday! I've thought a lot about a song that I can dedicate to you for your birthday but I cant think of one. So I decided to settle for a song that reminds me of you and I know that you like. Stay happy and continue on being an inspiration to the people around you. Your presence made our worlds a little more perfect.

Janice

Runner-Up: Scott Mancuso
Song: Your Song
Message: Scott didn't go through email or SMS or blog comments. Instead, he called and made me listen while he played this song on the piano. I was totally in awe listening to the entire piece. Thank you, Scott! That was the most original. Very memorable indeed.

Winner: Nadia Khoo (Of course, my best pal will always be the winner! =))
Song: Old Friends
Message: Nads, you know how I treasure you and our friendship. You will always be my evil but much more beautiful twin. Hehe! I love you, girl! Come home soon.

jambs! my soul sister! do u know EBTG's "old friends"? memories come crashing down everytime i hear this song - toxic hospital days, lazy days at the beach, crazy fiascoes over countless midnight bottles..the laughter & the heartaches..between the two of us, no words need be said to get thoughts across. even with the distance between us, mine will still be the biggest, tighest hug, the loudest "i love you" & the sincerest wish: that you find that someone, who will always make you happy. someone who will say to you, "if you were a melody, you'd be the most beautiful song." and i know, that you will find him, because you DESERVE it. you deserve every happiness. here's to another year of life, laughter & love! happy happy birthday jambs! i love you! always! MWAH! *HUG*

Nads

So that's wish nos. 2-8. Got to start working on the next post. Come back, ok? Ciao!!

Simply Thankful (part I)

What can I say? The past 2 weeks...It's been crazy! (in a really good way, I must say). I was pretty anxious and excited how my birthday wishlist project would turn out. And today, as promised, I'm posting the results. Tadaaa!

1. Handwritten "Happy Birthday" notes.

Wow! Now tell me if this could get any more overwhelming than it already is. I'm posting the results in several parts so I dont flood the page. Hehe!

Thursday. I had dinner with Teena, Ella, Pam, Hazel, Paolo and Donnell at Texas Roadhouse. It was fun! The best part was writing all the Happy birthday notes for me. I love it!

Teena, fully engrossed with her new art therapy (coloring books), took out her crayons and they all started working on their masterpiece...

Props to Teena for her very colorful birthday note. I hope colors brightly come back in your life, my friend. Big "thank you" hugs for you.

Hazel's work shows the graceful lady that she is. But Hazel, who's Anna? =)

Donnell made it all-Filipino! I can't say anything more. Salamat po!

The ever cutsie Pam, with flickering eyelashes, made the cutest butterflies. I feel so special, girl! Thanks!

Ella, after all these years of being super close friends?!?!?.... How creative!! Hahaha! Luv yah!

Friday. It was time to be with Nelsy, Myk, Tom & Rose. Partied at M Cafe. We most definitely had a great time. And the birthday notes just kept coming!

Nelsy made his note with his favorite chick cartoon! So cute! Oh "cute" is only for the chick, the note is faaaar from being cute, you naughty queer!

Myk made hers with a trademark, too! A banana! Ana Banana...Hmmm... I'm just glad the note came out blurry. Hehe!

Rose... A man I can't resist, huh? He who I have yet to meet to prove his existence. =)

Tom, you're the sweetest! Oh you're the only one who wished me good health! Can't wait to party w/ the guys, huh...Gotta finish the note quick! Good health good health! Hahaha!

Oh being a regular at M Cafe definitely has its perks. Ella's favorite waiter, Kiko the "Amaretto Sour" king, was so kind to write a sweet birthday note.

Rodel, another waiter, made one, too!! I feel so special, kahit napilitan kayo! Hahaha!

Stefan, the club promoter, and Myk's layogenic guy, came over to greet me and wrote a note, too! So awesome.Now here's the best part. Partying with the chef!! Chef Nurul wrote a note, gave us a pandan cheesecake, asked the DJ to make shoutouts for my birthday (Ana, Ana, Ana, Happy Birthday! LOL), and!! had a shisha set up in our table. You're the coolest, Chef Nur! Thank you!

Sunday. My usual weekend, had lunch w/ Tita Thelma & Jessica. Cosmo Japanese this time. Yum!

They can't be left out so they had to write their birthday note too. Wow! This is the longest tissue note I got for my birthday. Hehe! But it made me feel so loved, Tita. I'm thankful for people who could see through my strong front, understand my suppressed feelings and would sometimes express them for me during times that I can't let them out. I love you!

Our Ilustre girls (Daisy, Catche & Myra) who have looked after my grandmother, Tita, my nieces & me all these years, showed off their artistic side and made their notes for me! So cool!!

Monday, September 29. Happy Birthday, Ana Banana!!

Jujoe!! Thank you, I feel so special! And yes, you still owe me that!

OK, here's the girl that made my tears fall at 12 midnight. It's wonderful when friends who are oceans away take time to actually be part of your day. Thank you, Kat. I really miss our after-work coffee!

Now here's how my cube looked when I stepped in. Competitive friends, I must say!! Birthday notes on stickies everywhere! How many were there? Oh I lost count!

Overwhelming, in the nicest way. Had to read each note! Marge wrote "Happy birthday" in a hundred languages. Katz went through a gazillion (of course I'm exaggerating) song lyrics and wrote down the best ones. Helen wrote "Happy birthday" 20,000 times! Donnell bastardized a hundred songs to match my day (haha!). Mike made a million cute illustrations (Exagg!). Janice made personal notes & worked to set this up too! Ronnie, idea mo daw ito pero di ka nagpakita sa kin yesterday!(Heehee! Thanks my friend). My beloved editorial team wrote their own personal notes. I love you all for the effort. You definitely bagged the prize!! Thank you my CMPMedica friends!

Katz, thank you for the friendship. I will never forget how you most patiently listened & soothed my pain during my hardest times by just letting me be at the moment. My morning cofee & cig will never be the same without you & our "juz coz" laughter! Thanks, beautiful!! (haha! love your own!)

OK, worth posting. Thank you, Louie (Katz' little one)!! You cute little angel.

Talk about reconnecting!! This I got from my childhood friend Tetet. Our paths have crossed once again, and for that, I'm really happy and thankful. Hugs for remembering my birthday!

Matt, my coolest facebook buddy and a photography enthusiast too, made his note in his own unique style! I'm so touched. Thanks, Matt!

Ayeen, who's so close to my heart, preferred to go environtment-friendly! I love you, girl. I know that even after so many years from now, you will still remember the special days of the year.

"Every day brings a chance for you to draw a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance." I just love this quote. Thank you, Ate Rose, for this gift.

So there goes the most memorable handwritten birthday notes I got for my big day. More than just feeling so loved, I am most thankful for my loved ones who have always been there for me. Be it as simple as joining my "Happy birthday" note fun project, or as difficult as being there to embrace me at my worst.

Hey! Be sure to come back for my next post as The Wish List Results continues... Ciao!

Peek Into My Wish List

12 days before I turn a year older (again). =)

I believe I've been a good girl and I figured I deserve to make a wish (demand) list. So this is for you (yes, you!) since you peeked. You're in the game!

Hmm.. This is fun! I will keep track of the results and will post it here in my blog.

WISH LIST

1. I wish to get a lot of handwritten "Happy Birthday" notes. So start writing, shoot a photo or scan it and send it to (ajambalos@gmail.com). Hahaha! I'm pretty sure you won't go out of your way to snail it.

2. I wish for love & I hope to hear the most "I love you's" I've ever heard in my entire 33 yrs of existence. So get on the phone! Or you could yell if I'm just across the street. =) I will try to keep count but will definitely note the first one to say it.

3. I wish for The Diary of a Wimpy Kid - (Taken! Thanks Myk! Nuninu... Can I get it earlier? Low EQ! )

4. I wish for peace. So I hope to get a good cup of brewed coffee so I won't be cranky on my birthday.

5. I wish for sunshine. Be the first to make me smile on my big day.

6. I wish to fit in. Be the first to give me a bear hug!

7. I wish for a first dance. (hah! I wonder who will dare. Haha!)

8. I wish for a song dedicated to me. You know my email, tell me the title & why. OK, be nice now. I promised I will note the results. (Hmm... this actually scares me.. hehe!)

9. I wish for a surprise. Bwahaha! Whatever the reason is, I will note my first surprise for the day.

10. I wish to get the most heartwarming wish from you. (Again, be nice!)

I'm so excited to see how this turns out. Heehee! Ciao!

Scoops of Love

What could be harder than being away on your loved one's birthday?

But!!

What could be more fun than being the means to bridge the distance?

It's BoyB's birthday tomorrow & we're sending Nadia's love through scoops of sweet mangoes over cream. Nothing beats Cuerva's Mango Torte. Yummy! It's my favorite, too! I kept telling myself "Just get one for BoyB. None for you. This is fattening, fattening, fattening...". ok, ok...

I guess I'll settle for the pictures. I'll get my license to binge on my birthday, anyway. Hehe!

So Nads! No Cuerva cakes in Shanghai, girl! Just join me in drooling over the pic. Come home & let's binge!!

I Party!!

What happens when Teena turns 28?

Oh yeah! The smokin' hot girl throws a slammin' party!

And Ella definitely had a blast! I was laughing the whole evening!

It was a great time to catch up with friends. Elle & Denise looked very pretty (luv the hat!). Oh, that other girl is me. Hehe!

The great Wally G. clicked his way! You promised me a portrait & mentorship! Oh I hope it wasn't the alcohol talking.

"Long time no see pare!". I think I heard that right. Has it been 10 years?

Time for sweet lovers to be socially present!

And time for the dateless girl to just hug her dear friend. Heehee!

The party won't end without photo-op with Wally G. Hehe! Poor new couple, they were the victims. Oh! is that you, ella??

It's very easy Elle & Chris. Ganito lang o. Show them, Ginger!

FINALLY!!

Now we can go home. It's 3 am! Wow, that was fun. Happy birthday, Teena!

For You, A Thousand Times Over

The Kite Runner. My heart still melts when I think of this work by Hosseini. I love it. I also watched the movie with my parents and my mom and I were both in tears while my Dad dozed off. Heehee! He probably got tired of reading the subtitles.

This book review is way overdue. But I know the story is timeless. The characters left a mark in my mind and in my heart. So no review is too late for this novel.

Hosseini did a superb job in the narration. It digs into the reader's emotions. The first part of the book was my favorite. Excellent description of the setting. I never knew how kite flying in Afghanistan was different from what I normally see at the beach and parks. Also, how the fall of the land was shown to affect the lives of the main characters was superb.

More than getting into the details of the book, I prefer to review how the main characters touched my heart.

Amir

Imagine seeing your bestfriend (or anybody) molested by a group of bullies. Then imagine not doing anything to save him and even pretending not to know about it. Once in our lives, to any extent of severity, each one of us is guilty of the sin of omission. Amir's way of getting rid of his guilt was to totally cut all ties with Hassan and his father. A very common human instinct. Try not to think about it. Try. Get rid of everything that reminds you of that guilt. Eventually, it haunts, kills your mind. But indeed, life self corrects. There will be a chance to make up, one way or another. There is a way to be good again. A shot for atonement.

Hassan

Coming from a minority, family of slaves, no education, this boy was pure in heart and soul. How he loved and protected Amir, how he supported and enjoyed his stories, how he stayed loyal to and never lost his trust in his dearest friend. Everything about him is purely love. He defines love the way no person i know could. Read about how he stayed away when he noticed that Amir wants distance, how he kept quiet and accepted Amir's traitorous plot, and how he kept his trust in Amir after everything that he did. I can go on and on and not say anything bad about Hassan.

My heart yearns for a Hassan in my life, a kite runner who will do things for me a thousand times over. Love my entirety, embracing the good and bad in me. Trust me, all human instincts considered. Forgive me. Respect me. All these, a thousand times over.

Equally, my soul wants to be like Hassan. Tirelessly do things for my loved one, a thousand times over.

Baba

Noble. No word can describe him better. I especially loved this quote by Baba, "War does not negate decency. It demands it, even more than in times of peace." Truth in every word. This line screams reality in every person's life.

The Kite Runner is a masterpiece. I love it, and I know you'll love it, too.

I Rave...Ricco Renzo

We checked out Ricco Renzo last night. It will be the venue for Teena's birthday party. Yay!! So funny, it was my first time to be there, considering it's just 10 minutes away from where I live. Hehe!

Took some photos w/ my humble Olympus P&S (btw, Ella hates it! Haha!). The 1st level is small and cozy. Perfect for parties under 100 guests.

And they feature artworks too! A lot, actually. For now, they have all the heroes & villains on the walls.

I can't wait to see how the place will be transformed for the cosmo-themed party. I'm sure Teena and all her special guests will have a wonderful time.

After the meeting, it was time for some girl talk over kamikaze and daiquiris, and photo op too!

So here's my early birthday greeting to a very dear friend. Life's beautiful, Teena. Just live and embrace it. You're very blessed and loved. Whatever you have is what heaven knows will give you happiness and will make your life complete. Your heart knows it, just hard to believe it sometimes. Luv yah girl! Happy birthday gorgeous!