Of Birthday and Christmas Presents

Last year, I got the birthday present I wished for—a new job! This year, I got a whole lot of presents that, I don't even know anymore if it voids my probability of receiving gifts this Christmas!

Gift #1: Palawan Trip

A month before my birthday, my college roommie and I sailed off to one of my dream destinations— Palawan. We scored really cheap tickets (some six months before) and got a reasonably-priced inn for bathing, changing, and sleeping. The best thing about the trip was our spontaneity. We did a lot of things that weren't on the usual tourists itinerary: we rode tricycles to take us to places instead of renting tourist vehicles, went to the market and ate the best tasting fish balls, raided the ukay-ukay stalls (I scored a P15 Mossimo shorts!), drank coffee and shopped at the local stores, and went to the peryahan to play some sugal games.

At one point, our SD card was full and we had nowhere to go to delete the Word files! Thanks to our matatabang utak, we came up with a solution in an instant! While walking our way to the local coffee shop, we came across a photo printing station and had two photographs printed (the minimum). Naturally, the SD card had to be scanned by her card reader and the files showed on the computer. That's when my roommie said, "Ate, may buburahin lang kami, ha." I swear I was high-fiving myself for that moment!

Gift # 2: The play I wrote was staged!

Some two weeks before my birthday, I got the rare opportunity of having my play (entitled Have Mercy) —wait for it—staged! I admit to have imagined and dreamt about it way too many times but never thought that my imagination/dream would be realized that soon! It was a surreal feeling meeting with the directors and watching the characters I have written come to life. My endless thanks to those who made it happen, you know who you are. My life is changed forever, you have no frakkin' idea. :)

Gift # 3: Friendship

Two days after my birthday was one of my closest colleague's last day at work. Sure, I felt sad and wondered how it would feel like going to work the next day without her but, I know deep within my heart that Cie has given me her gift of friendship.

So there, even if all of these cover my gifts for Christmas already, I'm still happy as one can be. I don't receive gifts on Christmas anymore, anyway, so blech! :) 

Belated Happy Birthday and a Merry, Happy Christmas to me!