Officially 21

I’ve been 21 years old for 14 days and it’s only now that I’ve got the time to write about how my birthday celebration went. My plan of going to Hundred Islands in Alaminos City didn’t push through even though I had enough budget for it. I just thought it could wait, so I had a change of heart.

The celebration, however, still made my 21st birthday the best so far. My friends and I gathered at a colleague’s house in Dagupan City where we also spent the rest of the night. Another friend—Glena—would have her birthday the next day, so she bought Pancit Bihon which we ate at dinner.

Holiday recall

“As little children we would dream of Christmas morn, and all our gifts and toys…we knew we’d find but we never realized…a baby born one blessed night…gave us the greatest gift of our lives…”

Undeniably, when we were kids, we never cared for anything on Christmas day but the gifts we received that we believed came from Santa Claus who would sneak into our house through the chimney (ironically, houses here in the Philippines do not have chimneys, and has nobody ever wondered where he would try to get inside the house?). As we grew up, we had absorbed the real meaning of Christmas, why dawn masses were held before the 25th, and for whom we would really celebrate the occasion.

But, of course, it feels good to relive childhood memories—those times that our concept of the yuletide season was shallow, when a small simple gift would draw curves on our lips and when upon seeing Christmas tree covered with colorful and dancing lights, the joy in our hearts would ignite.

I remember spending Christmas day at my grandmother’s brother’s beautiful house in Marikina City where I played games with other children whom I didn’t even know (were we related to one another?). Toys were prepared and wrapped as prizes for the winners. Of course I got some—a ball, a set of power rangers, a toy gun and other toys I can no longer recall.

That's me, the baby in red shoes, when I was about 1 year old.

Why we don't fit

Dear Princess,

I remember the first time I saw you. You entered the room, looking uncertain and seemingly feeling awkward about your new milieu. Something about you caught my attention. Something that got my eyes stuck on you the whole time you were there in front. Something that until now I haven’t completely figured out.

Being a naturally shy person, I whiled away some time before I finally mustered the courage to talk to you. But even before that, you’d already heard of rumors about me having a crush on you. Rumors that turned out to be true.