It was the first time in four years that I got to spend my birthday in Aparri. Although simple, the dinner party graced by the presence of my relatives had been full of warmth. It is in gatherings like this that I feel I’m living up to Wolfgang Puck’s motto: Live, Love, Eat (…and drink a little wine, as my cousin Nicholai adds)! I cooked up simple courses for the occasion, those of my recipes that have withstood the test of time and very discriminate palates, I must say. There were my baked macaroni, cheesy caldereta which I prepared the night before to bring out more flavor, stir-fried vegetables. My aunt gave me much needed help in the kitchen and tossed some jumping shrimps into the wok, seasoned them with sesame oil, chili, salt and pepper, and Tabasco. She topped them with crispy garlic as garnish. I forgot to prepare dessert though and we ended up buying cookies and cream ice cream, which the kids always love anyway. I thought I prepared a lot but it turned out the food was just enough. That there wasn’t much food left after dinner was actually a pat on my shoulder. I realized that this would probably be the last birthday I’m gonna spend sponsored by my parents so I decided I had better enjoy it while it lasted.
If you have been reading my previous blogs or if we have been talking in the past months, you would know that in the first four months that I was in here, I was becoming more opinionated to the point of being combative. I was constantly in mood swings that had to do with my confused state of emotions regarding my stay here in the province which I felt impeded personal growth. Growth that I could only get from working away from home. Now, a month after my “retreat” in Manila (which was spent more actually on talking with friends most of which are not satisfied with their jobs), I find myself being more calm and agreeable without being reticent. I actually even have small chit-chats with my mom now which I realized I missed a lot. Although I haven’t dropped my kontrabida tendencies (I still chastise her for eating too much mayo, and bread, and cheese and a lot more stuff ), I’ve dropped my bugnutin attitude which I acquired during the first part of my stay here. It feels so much better.
Although 21 years sort of mellowed me down, it also brought out the more kikay side of me. I lost five pounds in the initial two weeks of my low-carb dieting (Yes, I’m finally dieting! Haller, like that's long overdue?!) and I am maintaining my current weight. I also plan to lose 10 to fifteen more pounds. Although I don’t see myself as too fat, I am in fact overweight AND obese. With my height deficiency, I’d better shape up lest someone mistake me for a sack of rice! Aside from doing something with my weight, I finally acquired a liking of dressing in bolder colors. My wardrobe has been shouting boring over the years with jeans and shirts without much accessories. Though I haven’t shopped lately, I have ransacked my mom’s cabinet for fab finds and had turned a few items into accessories. This morning I even went to mass with a melon colored blouse, gorgeous jeans, fucshia stilettos, and a fucshia hanky scarf around my neck to match. That’d make some cringe. I cringed myself at these colors a few months back. But not today, baby. No, I was actually digging my outfit. And it did it for me! I’m no Carrie Bradshaw look-alike but I had her spunk rubbing off on me today even if it was only for an hour or two.
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