Birthday Chronicles: 24

Last April 20, I turned 24!!! WOOOHOOO!

I had an entire weekend of birthday celebration!
There were others who greeted two days early (interchanging my Kuya's birthday with mine...April 18: Happy Birthday, Kuya Pao!) while most were right on the dot! I don't really mind whether I receive birthday greetings a bit early, on time, or several days after the 20th. All the early and late greetings actually made me feel that my birthday lasted more than a day, haha! THANK YOU again to everyone! I feel truly blessed and loved. :)

CEEE-LEEE-BRATE GOOD TIMES, COME ON!!! tooodudududoodoodudoooo

Eve of April 20.
I spent the night rehearsing with my zips classmates for Spindependence 3! Since we almost always zipped until past midnight, we knew that we'd be spending time until my birthday! ;-) I texted them in the morning that I'd bring pizza for the practice and the rest brought something else! :D WOW to teamwork!!!

Thank you to Ramir for the mat, music, and drinks and the mentoring!!! Giselle for the plates and cups (and Carlo, her friend, whom I met there)! Deneb for the brownies! Des for more drinks! Omar for the lambanog which is still in my room! Hernan who carried the pizza boxes for me, hehehe. Thanks to Jamie who came straight from Canlubang tired from campaigning and Mic who came all the way from her tutoring! And to Sarah, my beautiful GS/HS/college friend/sister who has also tried zipping several times, thank you for the photos/documentation! :-)


Sarah and the tripod. Mat, music, pizza, poi, practice. Belair's next top models,bwahaha.

April 20!
I love the fact that my birthday fell on a Friday because the preschool summer classes I teach are only until Thursdays! This meant MORE FREE time for me on my birthday! I woke up early despite being awake until 2 am. I had breakfast with my family and my sister's special guest, Franco. :)

And then I went to the gym alone because everyone else was at work. The fact that the gym was almost deserted at that time of day was already a gift in itself for me... And I was not expecting anything else that morning. But it was my birthday and wonderful things just seem to happen on that day.

A lot of people have crushes in the local showbiz industry. I just have ONE! And I've always wanted to meet him in person because he's the only one in my entire "showbiz list" that I could possibly meet in this lifetime. I have a short list with just two hollywood stars and one local actor. There's Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, and him. And I have never ever seen him in person. Ever. Until my 24th birthday.

There I was near the locker rooms, drinking by the fountain peacefully. And as I flipped my head back, I turned to my left to walk back to the gym area... I stopped.

This guy came out from the men's locker room. He was wearing a red shirt and a white bandana wrapped around his head, emphasizing his face. That face looked so familiar. Gulp (there went my last sip of water). Right there in front of me, inches (ok fine 1.5 feet) away from me... walking and breathing...was the oh-so-good-looking, Piolo Pascual.

My heart sang Happy Birthday to me!!! :D

I was happy with just that. The fact that I saw Piolo in person on MY BIRTHDAY for the first time and he was even WEARING RED was something I found so amusing! By the way, Franco knows this entire story so yup go ahead and tell him! :)

In the afternoon, I met up with two of my dearest girlfriends who were FREE at three pm. It was a spontaneous kind of thing. Aenid texted a few days back and we decided to meet up. Ada texted to greet me that morning and turned out to be free that afternoon as well. Tadan!

My brownie ala mode and dalandan shake! Aenid's cute drawing (center) My weirdness coming to life (bottom center). Ada's heart and lettering (top and bottom right).

My Birthday Dinner with Franco

Happy and full! Recently, the two of us have been into red wine. And that night, we were into several red things. Red Crab for dinner then he gave me a red Samsonite luggage for some of my planned (cross fingers and not-yet-planned) *travels* with my family and with him, naks.

April 21.
I went to Ateneo as a Beta volunteer for Koine Theater Foundation. If anyone wants to give me a late birthday gift (hehe, I know some of you do!), please do so in the form of supporting this foundation and their scholars! :) Koine opens its doors to children from poor communities and hones their talents in singing, dancing, writing, and acting! I heard and watched four of them sing last Saturday and they were truly gifted. :)

These are some of the advanced students practising their dance number. Amazing!

KOINE SCHOLARS NIGHT entitled INVENIO will be held on May 26 (Saturday) 730pm in Megamall Cinema 9. We could all help by buying/selling tickets or opting to become a benefactor and sponsor a child.

Watch Palanca-Award winning writer and composer, Niel de Mesa's INVENIO. Guest celebrities like Aiza Seguerra, Karylle, and many more are also set to join the performance. Tickets are sold at Php500, 300, 200. For tickets call 433.7886 or 09179726514 or log on to Amazing Koine Shows for more details.


I'll be posting this again some time next month when the event gets nearer! :) I really hope you could go!

The rest of my Saturday was celebrating time (not necessarily all for my birthday)! Franco and I kept moving from one place to another that night because for some reason, so many people were born this month...

We attended Cassy's 4th birthday! :)

Left photo: Lala, Chi, and Tata.
Center top: Franco and Drew.
Center bottom: Lala, Santino, Franco.
Top right: Kai.

Remember how I saw Piolo on my birthday? The day after, Andrew introduced me to Jericho Rosales. Surreal? What happened was even more surreal...

It was around 7:40pm. Andrew was outside the house while Jericho and Santino were inside the car, preparing to go. Franco and I went out because we had to leave for my family dinner scheduled on that same night.

Andrew talking to Jericho: "They want to meet you. (they referring to me and Franco)...
Andrew added, "Idol ka niya eh" (referring to Franco. Well, he used to watch Panday!!)

Jericho went down from his car and walked towards us, smiling. Charming. Looking very friendly.

Andrew: "Jericho, Franco. Franco, Jericho" (they shook hands and were really nice to each other)
Andrew: "Jericho, Lala. Lala, Jericho" (we shook hands...)
Jericho to Lala: "I think we've met before" (OMG, I would remember that if ever!)
Lala (keeping my cool): "no, not yet..." (laughs a little, smiles sheepishly)
Jericho: "oh sorry sorry"
Lala: "it's ok!" (laughs... wow, happy birthday to me!)

Inside Franco's car.
Franco (teasing me): O, saan kayo nag-meet?
Lala: Hindi pa talaga. Maalala ko yun if ever! Baka mukha akong taga-beach? Di ba nagssurf siya? Baka akala niya na-meet niya ko sa beach. (Note: my get-up looked beachy, my skin has always been dark, and my hair looked dishevelled. So maybe he thought I was from some island? I wish!)

Going back to the night of the 21st...

Birthday dinner with my family in Katre. Ate Monica was on duty the entire week so we scheduled our family dinner on a Saturday.

It's tradition! CW from top left: my lamb. franco and lala. kuya pao and ria. our parents. nikki and franco. grilled mahi-mahi. :)
Ling was in Boracay and Ate Monica insisted that her pictures not be seen here as she was still "not looking her best" because she has been reviewing for the medical boards. Gio was on duty, aww! Enjoy the lamb, GIO! :)

After dinner at around past 10pm, I went home to change clothes and freshen up. Then, Franco and I went back to Andrew's house because it was also his birthday! (Happy Birthday, Drew!) And by the time we got there, they all knew the story about us meeting Jericho and me being starstruck earlier, haha!

From Top left: Kix and Eng. Tata and Eng pretending to be bangag. Newlyweds Kathy and JC.
Bottom left: group pic with Shereen, Jer, Eng, me, Tata, Kathy, Chi, Duke, and Cats.
Right most photo: Gobernador Duke.

At around 1 am, we we went to Cuisine and met up with Barry. We also met his awesome boss from Australia, Tony, who kept asking me and Franco if we were married. And since we weren't, he kept telling us that we should be. Uhhh, Tony, I just turned 24!!! :-D

3:30 am.
I am getting sleeeeeeepy, my stomach so fulllllll and heavyyy, but I'm more sleeeepy than full... thug. Zzzz.

April 22.
Franco's nephew, Joaquin, turned one! We went to Manila Polo Club to celebrate his Barney birthday party! I had fun eating ice cream and creating my own halo-halo while watching Sesame street puppets and a live bubbles show. ;-)



With the birthday celebrant, Joaquin, and Franco's brothers, Martin and Craig. :) Everyone else was preparing for the Big Day in Calbayog. :)

April 23.
Anna and Jan from GamePlan texted me today along with my two good friends, Cheree and Mayen (I told you I don't have any qualms with late greetings!). Thank you, guys!

At 24, I feel even more showered with love and friendship! To everyone, THANK YOU SO MUCH! I didn't throw a party this year but I felt like I had one BIG BASH!

Happy Birthday to all the April celebrants out there! :)