My Birthday Weekend

Turning 24 is significant for me. In my opinion, when one reaches 24 he/she should already be considered a REAL adult. Well there isn't any theory or scientific study to this claim but I believe that it's the age when we should really really take our lives and our future seriously. So I would like to thank everyone for making not just the 13th but the whole Feb 11-14 special! Ang ganda ganda ko lang. Chuice!

Feb 11

Office lunch at Coach Pia's house. Thank you Coach for being my birthday mommy and serving barbecue, pancit malabon and cake! Nagfeeling Destiny's Child at napakanta tuloy ako ng...

Can you keep up? Baby boy, make me lose my breath!

After work friends joined me for a small celebration at 77 Cafe Bar and Resto along Kamuning Avenue.

Quick review: Food was good and wasn't too pricey. I loved the old house/artsy vibe of the place making everyone feel cozy. Though I had problems with reservations. Got a confirmation on Wednesday but when Mika, Tim and I arrived no table was reserved. We were lead to the first floor but the waiters asked us to transfer back up since according to the manager that section wasn't open yet. I had to insist that they can't treat us that way since they did not even take note of my reservations. Nasindak sa beauty ko kaya tuloy ang ligaya!

Other early birds!

Dani from The OneCORE and my blockmate JP

Joy Anne!

Then people came trickling in...

College blockmates!
Clockwise: Bene, JP, Verna, Tim, Carmi, Barbie, KoiBeyondPond, Mara and Kats

Team Naga!
Clockwise: Renmar, Ria, Tim, Ate Julie, Kuya Abe, Aldo and Mika

Shempre may mga late. Choz lang!

Carlo Arceta

Carla Torre

Josh Santos

Well mukha namang people had fun...

Masdan ang mga pez!

And thank you guys for the gifts!

TAMA birthday girl talaga (From Barbie, Carlo and Carmi)! And another cake (From Verna)!
Not in picture: A bottle of wine (From Ms. Nimfa)

And dahil may isa pang cake...

Looks like I'm good at BLOWING...candles. CHUICE!

Went home a little after one and had a nice chat with Mika and Josh at the village clubhouse.

Feb 12. Went to Cubao to do some errands. I waited for my birthday while watching The King's Speech. At the stroke of midnight, I said a little prayer of thanks. BANAL.

Feb 13. Woke up at 9 to hear mass at the Chapel near Montgomery. It was a semi-open structure so I had to wear shades the whole time. KEBS. We had North Park deliver food and had a good dinner with the family.

Feb 14. Contrary to everyone's expections, I HAD A DATE LAST VALENTINE'S DAY

*Kilig* CHE!

The person asked me out the night before and picked me up from my office after work. We decided to go to Kiss The Cook along Maginhawa St. Food was great through the service was kinda lame

Afghan Chicken

Five-Spice Pork Spareribs

The setting was romantic. Table for two with flowers and...

Manong Pianista!!!

ANG CATCH. My date was my barkada from high school, KAREN. Yes BABAE. BWAHAHAHAH Apparently Valentine's wasn't a huge deal for her and her boyfriend so it was a perfect time to catch up. Another barkada, James, followed later that evening too.

Of course we ended the evening with...

ALAK. Para sa sugatan kong puso. ECHOZ!

There goes my 24th birthday report! And so after all the celebration, life begins and I've never been so thankful and excited. Cheers to growing up!

Once in a Lifetime Pang-Aabuso

When I was president of the Council of Organizations of the Ateneo (COA 08-09), my only request for my birthday was for the Ateneo College Glee Club (ACGC) to sing for me.

Talk about abuse of power (Chuice!) But I am a huge fan of this world-renowned choir group and I felt that I was in the perfect position to make such request! I wanted them to sing Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin which is one of my favorite songs.

I thought only a handful of their members would come to the COA Room to do the favor together with some members of the council with a simple cake. Ay mali, I requested din pala Conti's Mango Bravo! ABUSADA.

Well it turned out that almost all members of of ACGC serenaded me along the MVP stairs while I went down and greeted everyone waiting near the lobby. May photo presentation pa.

Nagfe-feeling debutante.

Ang masarap na cake ay parang lalaki
Hindi inuurungan, nilalantakan!

Here's the video with ACGC singing Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love). Too bad I did not have a video of them singing Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin.

Almost two years after and it still feels surreal. Kinikilig pa rin ako hahah. If you guys want to catch them live before they go on their Europe Tour, here is your chance!


From their Facebook Event Page:

This year marks a milestone for the Philippine Choral World as the Ateneo de Manila College Glee Club (ACGC), the Philippines' oldest university chorale, celebrates its 90th anniversary. From April to June, the ACGC will be going around Europe for its Concert-Competition Tour, “In eXCelsis.”

During the course of the group’s preparation for the tour, the ACGC received overwhelming support from the Ateneo community. As a heartfelt ...way of giving back, the ACGC came up with the “In eXCelsis” Concert Series 2011:

• Gloria! In eXCelsis Deo
- January 15 at the Church of the Gesu, Ateneo de Manila University

• A Grand Night of Singing
- February 5 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines

• Virtus in eXCelsis
- March 5 at the PhilAm Life Auditorium

As a culmination of the group's preparations for the coming European Tour, the ACGC proudly invites you to the final leg of its "In eXCelsis" Concert Series, Virtus in eXCelsis. This send-off concert will showcase selections from the ACGC's tour repertoire and will feature the fruits of the choir's year-long preparations.

Tickets will be at Php 300 and gates will open at 6 PM. For tickets, kindly contact Fiona at 09277322242. Tickets may be purchased at P50 less for groups of 10 or more.