real friends - old and new - i realized over the last couple of days, will conspire to make up for whatever your significant other missed out. and so, the days following my birthday, i got a whole lot of special little favors, courtesy of amazing people.

the day after my birthday, an old friend waited until my class ended and took me to dinner and spent two hours with me, just chatting. it was extra special cause i didn't know he had something early the day after (and he didn't even bother telling me). he just knew i had a lousy birthday, and he wanted to make up for it.

on friday, gary took me to merienda/dinner. the steak dinner didn't push through but we got baked oysters and roast pork, and an hour and a half worth of laughs, and insults, and me saying yes to everything he said, cause according to him, as long as i'm eating food he's paying for, i gotta be agreeable, and so i was. i'm kind that way.

on monday, corina got a me a balloon, just cause she knew i've been wanting balloons.

and on tuesday, veevee made it a point to come to work, spend almost ten hours with me (lunch-desert-work-get load-get reimbursement-work-drive to up-attend labor arbitration-dinner-wait for cab for what seemed like forever) to catch up on a whole lot of stuff.

hurrah for birthdays, and hurrah for special people who make it all the more special.

(and screw a particular boyfriend who in spite of the many apologies he's made over neglecting my birthday has not made any effort to make up for it yet. it's been a week already dude. you're on thin ice now. VERY THIN ICE. yes, i know, i am evil that way)

incidentally, and totally off-topic, i was so busy that i neglected to write about amazing aunt/ninang who left for the states for a little more than two weeks and came home with two pairs of shoes, a bag with matching cosmetic case and cellphone case, a shirt, make-up, and various perfume samples. thank you, thank you, thank you. that was the biggest surprise yet.