Today, February 1st, my mother celebrates her birthday. Last January 29, it was my father's birthday.
We had an early celebration for both my parents' birthdays, trooping to Laguna on the afternoon of the 28th (taking a vacation leave to do so) so that we can spend a longer time with them over the weekend. Thanks to P-Noy's scrapping of GMA's holiday economics, there will no longer be any long weekends so for any planned long weekends, it's going to go against your leave balances.
The highlight of the birthday celebration was a trip to Enchanted Kingdom. While it's true that it's the kids who will enjoy the rides, the idea of just being together was worth the trip. In the several hours we were there, I only got to ride one ride -- the Wheel of Fate, EK's Ferris Wheel. Unfortunately, there were a million people at EK that weekend and the kids, my daughter, Ikai, and my wife's nephew, Mark, were unable to maximize their day. Falling in line for the rides meant eating up anywhere from 25 minutes to an hour to wait for your turn on the 3-minute ride. Kinda reminded me of last year's sojourn to Hong Kong Disneyland.
As for the birthday celebrants, they were content with going around and seeing the views, and sitting down on the benches, minding their little apo, Issa, or minding the baby stroller.They did manage to ride one ride though -- the Rialto, which, I think, was the only other ride that Papa wanted to hop on (the other being the Ferris Wheel but Mama didn't want to).
After EK, we went to Shakey's Pacita for a belated-birthday celebration monster feast.
Lesson learned though: never go to EK on a weekend.
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Later this month, my sisters and I turn a year older.
Yes, along with our mother, all of us siblings celebrate our birthdays almost consecutively. I have my birthday on February 24, followed by Wheng who has hers on the 26th, and then Rochelle celebrates her birthday on the 27th.
How did that happen? Planning, folks. All of us were born via c-section so that meant our parents had the freedom to choose our birth dates. But beyond the c-section, is the planning of the conception. Think, if all of us were born on almost consecutive days then that would mean the time of our conception would also have been planned, right?
Unfortunately, it's going to be another year of celebrating with the three of us apart. Rochelle will be celebrating her birthday somewhere in California, most likely taking care of my niece, Rae. On the other hand, Wheng's going to celebrate her birthday in Dubai where she'll probably be working on her birthday. It's been more than five years since we've celebrated our birthdays physically together and it'll be some time before that happens again.
In any case, Happy Birthday to my sisters in advance.
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Several friends are celebrating their birthdays this month as well. Happy birthday to Kaye Liangco-Plata, Alex Regaspi, Joe Pimentel-League (one of Issa's ninangs), Joyz Serrano, and Joel Conato (one of Issa's ninongs). I know there are still several other folks I know who'll be celebrating their special day this month so forgive me if I am not able to recall your birthdays at this moment (that's why there's FB, for the mentally-lapsed like me) but will update this blog accordingly.
Anyways, Happy Birthday to us all!
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I'm not much of a fan of astrology nowadays (in my younger years I was one and had rudimentary skills in palm fortune-reading) but a quick read yesterday revealed that 2011 is said to be a lucky year for me.
The Chinese lunar calendar predicts 2011 -- the Year of the Metal Rabbit -- to be lucky for those born under the sign of the Dragon. And boy do I need much good luck this year. That's because a lot of things need to play out smoothly for the entire family's plan to push through. We've got a major acquisition to make before the year is out and this early in the year, my wife and I have been talking about it.
On the personal side, 2011 is the year I make a lot of things happen. I've shelved a lot of personal projects for the past several years and now, with a decade and quarter years of my life already gone, I need to step-up and start hunkering down to work on these personal stuff.
So, Metal Rabbit, conk me in the head and bring with you all the good luck you can give me. Kung Hei Fat Choi!
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While looking for a paper clock at NBS for Ikai's school (the paper clock I bought her last week was causing her much frustration as the clock-hands were loose-thread hence she wasn't able to win in their class's clock-quizzes) I finally grabbed a copy of Dan Brown's latest caper, The Lost Symbol, as well.
A few blog posts ago, I mentioned that this book was one of those book I've had on my radar for quite some time now and last night I finally bought it. It's the first non-SF&F book I've bought in so many years (technically, this would be the third as the last non-SF&F book I bought was Reportage on Crimes which I semi-reviewed here, and the first, interestingly enough, was Angels & Demons by Dan Brown but that was for my sister and the book flew in a cardboard box to Dubai along with conditioners, shampoos, lotions, and medicines) and thanks to friends, I've pretty much read all the Dan Brown novels so far (and have seen both related movies that starred Tom Hanks as well) so I knew I wouldn't be passing up on this one.
Aside from SF&F books, I've pretty much like reading books that deal with conspiracies and origins stuff (things that make you say "so that's where it came from" or "so that's the reason why so and so is so and so") as well as several whodunnits like Robert Ludlum's novels. Brown's novels, especially the three that feature symbologist Robert Langdon, combine all three -- conspiracies, origins, and whodunnit -- in one action-filled volume. While not everyone enjoyed Brown's books (like myself and my lukewarm reception to the Twilight saga), reading his books was another escape from the daily toils. Much like spec-fic or SF&F, you are transported and immersed into another yet familiar world, one that is full of conspiracies and symbols. Unlike SF&F though, the plot doesn't happen in the past with swords and magics and chainmail nor in the future with spaceships and ray guns, but in the present. Although the setting is definitely urban, it's not urban fantasy because of the absence of the fantastic. But the merging of the conspiracies and histories is fantastic enough and for me, that's enough.
The Lost Symbol looks like an interesting read and maybe I'll make a review when I finish it, compare it to the two previous ones. In my opinion, Angels & Demons was better written than The Da Vinci Code. Maybe The Lost Symbol can top the two.
I just finished re-reading Dune: The Battle of Corrin last night so tonight, I might just start reading The Lost Symbol and immerse myself again in the symbol-filled world of Robert Langdon.
