When I was younger I used to think that having my birthday exactly a month after Christmas was fun. I mean, I just received Christmas gifts then exactly a month after I would be receiving more gifts as birthday presents.

But the story turns different when you're 21 and you didn't get any Christmas and/or birthday gifts.

Another thing about January is that my family is celebrating 3 occasions in just a week. My birthday is on the 25th, Mom's is on the 27th, and my parents' wedding anniversary is on the 30th. Instead of having separate celebrations, we would just celebrate once. Kung baga: One shot, big shot.

For this year, Mom and Dad have decided to just eat dinner in Alabang. We were thinking of something Japanese but we also wanted something Italian. Then my hunger for Buffalo Wings, pasta, and pizza prevailed so I suggested something light, not too sosi because that would cost a lot too. We ended up eating at Don Henrico's in Filinvest.

It took a zillion years for our orders to arrive so I told my brother Abi to pose for a pic with me.


I wanted my sister Jhozelle to be in the pic as well so I tugged her but Abi thought he'd catch the end of the camera frame.


My mom fancies things like these. You know, family stuff and all. She wanted a better pic with Abi wholly in it. She decided to take our "siblings" pic herself.


I sent her the photo but she wanted another one. Okay, Mom. You're the Mom here.


Blame the blurred shot on Mom's shaky hands.

After all the shots and another 84 years finally our orders arrived. I wanted to take a pic of Mom and Dad but Dad was too shy and Mom was too, errmm, willing. So I took Dad's pic while he was not looking. Or maybe he was just acting it all out.


I don't know why I didn't take Mom's pic. Maybe because she was too eager to have her pic taken and I was too excited to eat the gigantic Buffalo Wings.

It was a nice family bonding. I hope next year we have something like this again. Plus gifts.

****

I am watching the ABS-CBN special on Manny Pacquiao thingie right now. I am not anti-boxing and definitely not anti-Manny; I am just anti-Manny-celebrations right in front of my face all the freaking time.

It makes me wonder if the whole of Mexico and the rest of the Chicanos all over the world partied for a week and made Erik Morales a present-day hero when he first won over Pacman.

I mean, yeah, Manny made the country proud and all the Filipinos worldwide and for a minute there it's like the fast-ticking clock of Manila stopped when he faced Erik Morales. I don't wanna be "KJ" and all but the celebrations are just too much for me.

I hope Manny's parties end here. C'mon, we got to go back to our real lives. Would Manny share his prize money with the families living along Tutuban station? Would he shelter the homeless? Would he build roads to have easier traffic flow? Would he fund Science and Technology researches in the Philippines to make Filipino lives better than ever before? Would he help me buy my carbon nanotubes that costs $500 per gram?

Boxing and more boxing. Is this the way by which our country's "bus" is moving on? Is this how we are moving forward? Because if it is, then I'm getting off.

Charing!

By the way, that guitarist of Sandwich (playing right now) who looks like Mong is so hot. Is that Mong? Uuuy, first name basis. Wahahaha!

Eh, Sandwich pa ba ang name nila? It's like their Nth line-up change since Marc left.

****

I just visited Pam's blog and like what she just posted I thought I was over Havaianas already. But no!!! Not when I saw this from the Havaianas US Website.


WAAAAAAAAH!!! I gotta have this Brazil Cup Havaianas!!! It's available in blue too but yellow and green are very Brazilian and very Girl Scouts. Say I'm crazy but I used to think I was Brazilian in my past life. There's something about Brazil that makes me wanna go there or makes me feel connected to it. As in. As in as in. As as in in.

Plus it's a soccer thingie and it's just so hot. I have friends who are soccer crazy and the sport is really cool. If only I could go back to college, I'd enter the Futbol Varsity. (Chris, totoo yun!)

So to all my family and friends in the US, you know what can make me really happy for $18.00. I can handle the Fed Ex shipping. Puuuhhhlease? Preeeeety Puuuhlease?