My hubby and I were born on July. I, on July 9 and he on the 15th. I was born three years ahead of him so even if we’re both Cancerians, I am a Rat and he is a Rabbit.

We celebrated on different weekends this year. My family came over two weekends ago and we went to Clark on Saturday for some shopping and to make pasyal the kids. Too bad, I didn’t have my digicam yet. The hubby can’t come as he was busy manning our rice store. On Sunday, we had some spaghetti, soup, softdrinks and lots of stories. The spaghetti was cooked by my youngest brother. While we were in Puregold in Clark, he told me he’ll cook some for my birthday as long as I buy all the ingredients. Shoot! (meaning: agreed). It wasn’t everyday that he offers his culinary skills. I bought the curly pasta and some tube macaroni. Not all of my kids like spaghetti. Raia, my middle child, doesn’t like ‘em. Everytime there’s a birthday party in her class, she gives her spaghetti to friends or classmates. This is why I asked the yaya to cook some chicken macaroni soup too. I am culinary-challenged so I had to ask the yaya to cook a simple food like a macaroni soup,

 

Last night, it was my hubby’s turn to celebrate. His buddies from college days came over. My mother in law (who is an excellent cook) and her brother arrived at 6:00 in the morning to cook different goat dishes. My husband is an excellent cook himself so he was also in the kitchen helping out with the preparations. We had papaet, kaldereta and bat and balls (an aphrodisiac my husband tells me). They also cooked adobong itik and inihaw na (Bonuan) bangus. Before the celebration started around 3:00 pm, my cousin sent 2 bilaos of pork barbecue. For drinks, there were 2 bottles of Fundador, a bottle of scotch whiskey and a case of mixed San Mig Light and Pale Pilsen. The kids and I feasted on barbecues and bangus. I have wanted to sit down and drink beer with the group but, Enzo, our 1-year old son, seems to have the same thing in his mind. Everytime I went to the gazebo where the party was held, he comes running after me. He was so excited he only slept when the guests left at 9:00 pm.

It was sheer fun to celebrate birthdays with families and close friends. Stories may be of the kinds that are often told but what the heck, replayed buddy and family anecdotes are what good get togethers are made of.

Online Birthday Greetings

I received an SMS/ text message years ago that said something like, “Buti na lang nauso ang text, I don’t have to send you a card anymore. Happy Birthday!”. It was not surprising therefore when I received more elctronic messages than mailed ones this year. I received less than 10 text greetings on July 9. Most of it came from immediate families. Thanks to friendster and facebook, more came rushing in and I have been receiving one or two until today. My friendster greetings ranged from simple happy birthdays to the more glitzy and animated warm wishes. Friends from London and the U.S sent their greetings on July 10 which were not belated because while it was already the 10th here in the Philippines, it was only July 9th from where they were. Thanks to everyone who remembered and greeted.

Cheers to my 36th year and beyond…

When one of my friends was a kid, she thought of living until the age of 20 only. She was at that age when we met so she claimed she doesn’t really know what to do after graduating from college. I answered, “At least ako, I ‘m batting for 25.” That was true. Like her, I can’t imagine what I’ll be doing after 25. So when I was about to celebrate my 26th birthday, I was having anxiety and existentialist attacks. That was when I seriously planned to have a baby.

It’s been ten years + 1 since I imagined my life to end. In a way, it did. Today, on my 36th year, I am more preoccupied with providing a life for my family than having a life of my own. Far from being bitter about it, I am in fact, loving it. When I had my own family, my own kids, I fully realized why we needed to celebrate birthdays. It was not about getting older or having a checklist of accomplishments each year. It was not about how much food or drinks do we prepare or what movies or outing to we go to. It was more about celebrating life and the goodness of this world. Birhdays are about giving thanks for another year of blessings and challenges. In my children’s cases, their birthday celebrations were about giving thanks for another year that is free from severe illnesses and a life full of ongoing discoveries.

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Happy birthay, Tati! Happy birthday to me!

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Years
1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020

Rat personality traits
People born in the Year of the Rat are one of the most industrious and hardest working in the zodiac.

Forever busy in pursuit of an ambitous personal goal, at times they may become difficult to work with since they are born perfectionists. Rats must ensure that every “i” is dotted before completing an assigned task. As a result, they are often successful financially, and are good providers for their family and those they cherish most dearly.

Loyal and loving, Rat people inspire loyalty in others who are close to them. They are essentially honest individuals and loath to betray a confidence. However, their quick wit and restlessness can sometimes lead to chattiness, and they can often be relied upon at large social gatherings for a good story or a juicy bit of gossip.

Their energy levels and expert organizational talents are such that it is a rare thing to see a Rat person sitting idly by with nothing to do.

They may even sometimes be viewed as opportunists who cajole others into helping them accomplish a great ambition. In their careers, Rat people can find much success as business leaders or politicians.

 

Rats are most compatible with : Dragon, Monkey, Ox

Famous people born in the Year of the Rat : Charlotte Bronte, Truman Capote, Catherine I, Prince Charles, Sasha Cohen, Eminem, Peter the Great, Mata Hari, Scarlett Johansson, Wolfgang Mozart, Plato, William Shakespeare, Leo Tolstoy, George Washington

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Years
1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023

 

Rabbit personality traits
Although generally calm, gentle and loving, Rabbit people can be very ambitious and intuitively know how to get ahead in the world.

They are good listeners, kind and sweet by nature, and are therefore often sought out as popular and trusted friends. Generally noted for their physical beauty, Rabbits like to surround themselves with beautiful things. They have a good eye for art, design and fashion, and are usually at the top of anyone’s Best Dressed list.

Others may call the Rabbit timid, but those born under this sign rightly view themselves as wise and cautious.

Rabbits are rarely known to make a move or jump into any new situation without first carefully considering all their options. No one is more surprised than Rabbits when they win a poker hand or hit the jackpot at the races, although at times good luck just seems to come their way unbidden.

Rabbits are regarded as the peacemakers in any group. They remain calm in any situation, and are very slow to anger.

In close personal relationships they can be very romantic, but their natural cautiousness prevents them from settling down or committing to any one person right away.

At work, they excel by remaining cool and collected, and can be relied upon for extreme tact in delicate business dealings.

 

Rabbits are most compatible with : Sheep, Dog, Pig

 

Famous people born in the Year of the Rabbit: Albert Einstein, Leon Trotsky, Frank Sinatra, Pope Benedict XVI, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, David Beckham, Tiger Woods, Whitney Houston