I tried posting this via email, also to test if that feature really works. But I’ve waited more than 30 minutes and no new post has arrived.
Anyway, here’s a (bad) photo of Dad with his birthday guests.:
The kid up front, and the on the right-most are neighbors’ kids. The one on the left with the cutest smile is AJ, Esban’s right in front of dad, and then the remaining one is Adam. Cute boys, always up to no good. Haha. 🙂
Can you identify Zune at the back, behind his gate? He was jealous like crazy.
Anyway, did you see the Annular Solar Eclipse this afternoon? I didn’t. It could have been a good activity with the kids. Oh well.
Aside from Chinese New Year coinciding with dad’s birthday this year, I should mention that Daddy Abueva, or National Artist Napoloen Abueva, is also celebrating his birthday today. Happy Birthday Sir! 🙂
Growing up, I always thought that I was my daddy’s favorite, and my big brother was mom’s. Of course that couldn’t be true, I really was just daddy’s little girl. I grew up with my dad telling me stories of his own childhood – he would do so at bedtime, or sometimes at the dinner table with everyone gathered ’round. Later, when I was a little older, he would tell us stories of his time in the revolutionary movement. For those who don’t know yet, yes, my dad was in the militant movement in the Martial Law years. Both he and my mom were. I have always been proud of that fact – proud that both my parents were former political detainees.
In recent years, celebrating my dad’s birthday meant buying KFC, or having lunch/dinner out, and then ice cream and cake for the kids. Two years ago, Zune came home on dad’s birthday. So there was a celebratory mood all around because the kids were also in the house not just to welcome our little tiger (uh pup), but also to have cake and ice cream. Last year was the same, except there was lunch at Steak Town too. Alfred and I didn’t make lunch though. He had work, and I, well, had an accident at work.
Dad was a boy scout and he really encouraged us to sign up when we were kids. His scout master in Torres High School was the legendary Sir Rudy. He was also the scout master at Trinity College during our time! I was mighty proud when during one of our recognition days for scouting one year, Sir Rudy acknowledged my dad. He remembered him! Because dad worked at our church as the national development officer for over a decade, he worked within five minutes of our home. That meant he was home everyday for lunch, and that he was the logical choice to attend PTA, or school programs, and pick me up after school too. I’d frequently drop by his office for a variety of reasons. I could do that because their office was at the center of the community – right by the basketball court.
I was already alive when my dad went back to school to get a degree. But what I remember is already the time he took a Master’s Degree in Development Management at the Asian Institute of Management. He managed to get himself a scholarship and a year off work to concentrate on studies. No, he wasn’t out of work, he was still working for the church but he didn’t have to be there everyday. I was in high school at this time. He read tons of papers and wrote tons of them too in that year. We were all so proud of him when he graduated with distinction. That really opened more doors for him.
Since working at the church, he has since worked in the fair trade industry, heading an NGO called APFTI; he worked for a few months in Mindanao, with his base in Cotabato City, with a UN project (UNIDO); he then moved on to work with UPLIFT; and now he works with the Manila (and Davao) office of the Catholic Relief Services. He’s had consultancy jobs here and there too over the years.
He travelled frequently when I was a kid, so did my mom. I was used to either one or both of them being away. But I specifically remember him having to go abroad for a meeting/conference but he didn’t leave just before my birthday even when it seemed that he had to. He made sure that his flight was either on the night of, or the day after, my birthday. I felt so special 🙂
Anyway, back to his birthday…
We had lunch at Tempura (something) over at the corner of Roces Avenue and Tomas Morato. We were complete: mom, dad, brother bear and his girlfriend Diane, me and Alfred. It was a filling lunch and good company. Dad wanted pictures taken, but for some reason, we didn’t get a group picture. I snapped a few photos of the food though. He’s out buying ice cream for the kids as I type.
We didn’t get him anything but now I’m thinking that I should just buy him the sleeve for his laptop computer. We saw one at Fully Booked that would be perfect for his notebook. He already bought a knapsack for it but found it too big and bulky. He found this nice sling that he prefers to use but it isn’t a proper laptop bag and has no cushion. A sleeve would be just the thing it needs. Yeah, maybe I’d get him that.
Oh well, I really just wanted to say… Happy birthday, Daddy! I wouldn’t have picked a different father if I was given the chance to. Thank you (to both you and mama) for raising us the way you did, and for providing for all of our needs, and most of our wants. I don’t say this out loud anymore, but I do love you 🙂
Esban took this picture in the first week of the year, he and dad brought out almost all of dad’s toy car collection and E snapped away. I am writing this birthday post for my dad though he probably would never read it. My blog is public and I make no effort to hide my identity, but I don’t exactly advertise to my family and friends. I’m not so sure why…
See the new cute banner on my sidebar that just screams Party!? Well that’s the little sister of this one:
It’s a party for Mammadawg’s birthday, click on the banner to find out what cool giveaways she has for those attending her party.
I met Dette (online, of course) through the Thursday Thirteen meme, many many moons ago. She was one of those blogs that I just continued to stalk even when it wasn’t Thursday. It’s probably because she’s Pinay, and she responds to comments. Oh and she writes well too – always has fun and interesting content about her family. 🙂 She started Scrapbook Saturday and so many other cool stuff that gets bloggers together.
My weekends (referring to my days off work) have been moved to Sundays-Mondays. My boss actually thought I’d be happy with the change but I’m not so enthused about it. One – Alfred and I won’t have the same off anymore. Two – I’ve come to appreciate how the movie houses and malls are practically empty on Tuesday nights 🙂 Three – the days seem to go faster for some reason.
Apart from having my off moved (which already started this week), my shift is being shifted too. Instead of logging in at 10PM, it’ll be 11PM or 12MN starting Sunday. Aw. That will widen the gap between Alfred’s shift and mine. 🙁
Anyway… I took an in lieu leave from work on Tuesday, just because. Originally, I filed for leave for the 19th because that’s our anniversary. Since it was my off already, I figured I’d just take the next day off too. It did me good to spend an extra day off work. Though we had to run an errand on that day, it was still okay for me all in all. Got me to think about taking a longer vacation soon. We have no plans yet for an out of town vacation (because we really don’t have the money to spend on one) but we have been talking about going for a swim either at Ace Water Spa or at Club Manila East. But I’m thinking that I need to de-stress and a day trip wouldn’t be enough to fully reload my guns.
The cold spell also seem to have left Manila already – it is so darn hot! Now would be a very good time to head to Baguio or even Sagada while it’s still cold up there. Or… go somewhere where it’s okay to be hot – the beach! I remember reading about their holiday vacation home from a digital scrapbook designer (Bonnie) and how I was so envious! It was a lovely place and I just know that if my family (the extended one) were given the chance to rent a vacation home and spend even just three days there – we would have the time of our lives! The closest to a vacation home we have ever rented are those private pools in Laguna – and they are NOWHERE near the grandiose and ambiance that vacation homes like those in the Outer Banks in the US have. Ohhh, the place that the XB peeps rented last year for the management team building in Caliraya, that seems real nice too but still not sure if it’s something we can afford. Ugh.
Oh well.
A sad time for Microsoft.
It’s all over the news – Microsoft announces that 1500 of it’s valued employees are losing their jobs, and 3500 will soon follow. For a company who values employee loyalty just as much customer loyalty, this has got to be very tough for them. I have never been fired, nor retrenched, but I was transferred out because we lost an account. I still had a job waiting for me though, so it isn’t an experience that I can even begin to compare to those people who have been hit hard by this economic crisis.
I know there are a lot more companies who have had to make bigger sacrifices – like the Intel shop that gave jobs to 5000 Filipinos who is completely closing down – but learning about this happening to Microsoft just hit a little closer to home. We deal closely with Microsoft at my line of work, you see. Hay.
It stars the sexiest man alive, who wouldn’t be curious about Mr. Button?
But seriously, even if it was any other man than Brad Pitt, it would still have been a great movie – the story was so compelling, and the romance – a great love story. As the film started rolling, I had no preconceived notions of what it was about, or how it would turn out. You see, I hadn’t been looking at any of the publicity materials on Benjamin.
There’s a wikipedia article about the origin of the film, and I was surprised to find out that the movie adaptation is a lot different from the F. Scott Fitzgerald original. Still, I think the movie gave Mr. Fitzgerald’s literary honor in its adaptation. I would love to read how it was originally intended.
Back to the movie…
In more ways than just how he was born, Benjamin Button was actually a lucky bastard. He had the chance to bless Queenie with a baby that she has been praying for. He grew up in an unusual home, where his appearance as an aged little boy paid no matter to the old people living with him. He was able to live life and be whatever he could be. He sailed the seas, met many women, fell in love, knew how it felt to be a father. He had known friends. He was able to make an ultimate sacrifice just to make life a little more easy for his beloved wife and daughter.
He was a child born in a frail, old body. But his spirit was that of a child. At home, he was treated like a baby, but outside, on the rare occasions that he had at first spent outside, he was treated like an old man. In a way, we treat both kids and old people in quite the same way don’t we? That’s probably why things weren’t all that confusing for Benjamin Button once he started to venture out of his comfort zone.
Benjamin and Daisy’s lovestory is one for the record books. It’s like a love that took years to cultivate. They knew they loved each other, but also that they needed to move on for the sake of a greater love – that for their daughter. I couldn’t imagine how bitter-sweet the last years were for Daisy. I could only hope that I will have someone like that to care for me when my condition deteriorates. What’s more, I can only pray for strength like hers to stand by and bare witness when it is my beloved who goes through dementia.
I’m not sure if the story version really included the curious clock from the train station, but it’s a wonderful way to set the tone for the movie. For me, it even symbolizes all the hopes and dreams of families left behind by the young men and women who lose their lives in countless meaningless wars throughout history. I guess on a different plane of existence, everyone who exits this one starts their new lives with a backwards clock too.
Hay.
I didn’t know Cate Blanchett was so sexy. Haha. I knew she was an awesome actress, but she was a revelation to me here.
If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend the Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
We are meant to lose the people we love, how else are we to know how important they are to us…
