It was Summer of 2008 when Kaye & I last went to Manila Ocean Park. That was actually our treat to Ate Kara for her 11th birthday. Also, Kaye was 7 months pregnant with Cassie then and Jeremy was barely 1 year old at that time, so he couldn’t enjoy much yet during our first tour. Even MOP was not as complete then. Being the first oceanarium stopover in the country, they had a soft opening at that time so Filipinos could experience what it was  like to see the underwater world for the first time. So the comeback trip (aka treat na rin) kinda made everything more exciting now that Cassie, Jeremy and of course Ate Kara looked forward to a more complete MOP last December 11.  Well, this birthday treat is more for my kids than for me. You see, we usually have lunch trips at Tagaytay every time I celebrate my birthday. So this time around, I would say it was a lot better! And I was thankful (even at first was hesitant since it’s medyo magastos) because we had a blast that whole afternoon. I even had to purchase additional tickets for everyone, including my folks to watch the Musical Fountain Show that evening. It was priced at P99/person only! What a birthday treat indeed!

Anyways, the day turned out to be a very tiring but worthy birthday celebration for me, because I got to share it with everyone that I cherished, especially with the kids, who appreciated more the fishes and the other underwater animals that they got to see for the first time. I, for one, was so elated that Kaye made me push thru with the trip, and in so doing, made everyone truly happy in the end. Sayang the piglets weren’t able to enjoy much the fish spa. Jeremy was so ticklish that he often took out his legs from the water, and Cassie  most of the time, was just  splashing, which scared the small fishes away. Aheheh. Well, there’s always a next time.

Ps. I’ll take this portion to thank those who texted me on my big day last December. To my cousins Chop, Miah & Iah, Melanie, Aloy, Grace (who recently got hitched), Ai, Ninang Soli, Lawrence, King (naks special mention), Anne (my close sis in law), and even my daughter Kara, thank you for making it always special every year. Not to mention of course those who greeted via Facebook, thank you so much also for remembering. It has been a wonderful 36 years and everyone has made my life worth living. You are all in my prayers always!

Btw, sorry if this post is 1 month in-the-making. Hehehe! Was savoring the long vacation that’s why.

And now, here are some pics for your viewing pleasure.

The Kulets

Mama & Cassie with Big Fish

"Daddy, ako naman pindot starfish."

My Pretty Girls with the piranhas

A manta ray (I think!)

Piglets with Mama

Jemjem All smiles with the sharks

My Chikitings in the Tunnel aquarium

Father & son bonding amidst the fishes

Fish spa time!

Go fish... nibble nibble nibble!

See how happy everyone is at the Sea Lion show!

The one the kids, even the yayas, enjoyed watching!

It’s already 11 hours past since a new year has been added to my existence. And am not even sure what to write here. So I guess i’ll try to start off by recalling what transpired in the past years. Where to start, I don’t know… well, here goes…

In the previous years, the day usually started with a morning visit to the tomb of my twin brother Jon. He passed away 10 years ago due to fatal arrhythmia (this I learned just recently from my mom). A rosary and a prayer of remembrance, then afterwards, my parents and I would usually sing happy birthday to him. And i know he’d be delighted by it. From there, I go to work while my parents would go home to our house in Manila to prep for some handaan in the evening. When evening came, of course, close friends would be there to share some of the sumptuous food Mama bought from Meal To Go, or sometimes catered. I’d say oftentimes medyo bongga ang celebration since it’s not just me who’s celebrating or my late brother, but also my late Lola Pem! So triple the celebration, one is here, and the other 2 is “up” there! Ang eerie ng idea but equally fun! And I’m sure they have plenty of food to spare there because the Master usually provides a feast!

I usually love treating my family to something far different than just going to the mall and dine in. That’s why last year, I took my family and some relatives to a mid-morning trip to Tagaytay, just in time for lunch at Josephine’s. I had a blast celebrating then. Apart from the food, the place, and the cool weather, it was fun to see my former yayas become local tourists (first -timers po kaya picture at pose galore sila ha!). But more than that, I enjoyed the luxury of being with Kaye and my 3 kids, Kara, Jeremy and Cassie on my special day. My Ate Kara also had a share of fun, specially during the pichur-pichur moment with the Taal Volcano behind us and suddenly Cassie pulling her hair. Picture moment talaga!

And the fun didn’t end there. We still went to Residence Inn for the mini zoo tour. Ate Kara had been there a couple of times. But this time was different. She had a moment of feeding a baby tiger, and even had a corn python slinged around our necks. Jeremy and Cassie also had an immersion experience with the animals around the zoo with Kaye. And to cap the whole birthday treat, on our way home we passed by Mushroom Burger for some afternoon snacks and takeouts.

In all these things, I guess my idea of celebrating a birthday is not about me treating myself. But it’s a day where I consciously give back to people I most care about something that they deserve because of what they have made me become for the past year. So like instead of buying myself something, I buy something for Kaye such as a book or maybe a watch. Or wanting myself to have fun, I’d rather let my kids have all the fun they want. And it’s really a different kind of satisfaction I get every time this day comes. And frankly, I couldn’t get enough of it ‘coz every year, things just keep getting better and better! Blessed ba ‘ko? Maybe. But more than that, fulfilling is more proper because I always get to share my day with them.

So as half of my day has passed, am still thinking what’s in store later? Hmmm… still don’t know actually. But one thing for sure, I’ll be seeing my Kaye early tonight for a cozy, quiet dinner and hopefully catch the kids still awake back home so I could hear them again say “Happy Birthday Daddy! Yayu (love you ni Cassie) Ichu (love you ni Jem) and love you Dad (ni Ate Kara)!”