I am finally. 30. Thirty. Trenta. The Big 3-0. Dirty 30.
A year left, wala na ako sa kalendaryo.
3 decades of living in the world, planet.
Am I a certified #tita now?

I don’t know what to feel. I don’t know what to say. I’m “that” old already? Yet, I feel like I’m still, what, 15?

Anyway, the last 29 days of my life, I looked back on how I celebrated my birthday. I’m glad that my mom made sure that I had the best celebrations, even if it was just at home or where ever. (Thank you mama!) Posted them one by one everyday as a count down to my exact birthday. I was trying hard to remember what happened each year. Of course, during the first few years of my life, I wouldn’t entirely remember what happened. Nakakaloka lang especially pagpasok ng year 2000 onwards, grabe yung rollercoaster of emotions ko sa mga celebrations ko, with heartaches and all. Haha. But I was happy, I’m definitely sure. Thank you to my friends who was with me.

First Birthday
I don’t remember anything, except that my cousins celebrated with me. My first Jollibee party with my Mama and Papa.

Second Birthday
My mom celebrated my birthday with a house party, again, I have no memory of it but of my cousins seated with me and a cake with a castle, a pabitin and an unknown racoon mascot.

Third Birthday
The last time I celebrated my birthday with my Papa. My mom prepared a McDonald’s Party for me. My cousins were present and I was crying so loud, because I was scared with Grimace.

Fourth Birthday
I had a small celebration at home with my grandparents, uncle, aunt, and cousins. Then, I had a small party in my nursery school – Huckleberry and Friends Learning Center (not in picture), but it was raining very hard then, most of my classmates weren’t able to go to class, that’s why my “guests” during my celebration were my other schoolmates whom I didn’t even know.

Fifth Birthday
This was very vague even if there were pictures. My aunts and uncle were there, as well as my school bus mates, whom are years older than me. I don’t know if we did other stuff aside from this that time. But all I know, a few weeks after, we flew to US and again, I celebrated my birthday there. My Lola Fe baked me a cake, and that’s when I celebrated my birthday again with my Papa, and that will be the very last. I may not have pictures of those moments, but I believe I have a home video of it, somewhere.

Sixth Birthday
Party at my grandparents’ house in Cavite, celebrated it with my cousins and we invited their friends there whom I also play with when I stay there for vacation.

Seventh Birthday
This is my second Jollibee Party. Even if my mom just gave birth to my sister, she still prepared something for the 7th birthday. All of my cousins and friends were there. I got lots of Trolls that time because those were my favorite.

Eighth Birthday
I had a small celebration for my 8th birthday at home, with my baby sis and grandparents. I don’t remember if we went somewhere after or something, but these pictures were taken after I came home from school.

Ninth Birthday
I have school then, so my mom prepared food, cake, balloon and giveaways for my classmates. After recess period when I had my celebration, I got dizzy and was brought to the clinic, went home after awhile.

Tenth Birthday
I invited all of my playmates from our street at home for my 10th birthday party.

Eleventh Birthday
I think we went somewhere on my 11th birthday, but I don’t remember anything. But I had my lola come over to celebrate it with me and my sister. Over the weekend, my bus mates and some of my playmates came over for cake and ice cream.

Twelfth Birthday
My playmates came to our house after school to celebrate with me for my 12th birthday.

Thirteenth Birthday
My playmates celebrated with me by joining to for some fun at Dreamscape and steaks from Rack’s.

Fourteenth Birthday
Cake and etc for my 14th birthday at home after classes that day.

Fifteenth Birthday
My choir mates celebrated my 15th birthday with me. It’s also the first birthday of mine that I celebrated it with my then boyfriend, Angelo (now the hubby!), but we’ve been together for more than a year already.

Sixteenth Birthday
It was raining so hard that day, it was already flooding, but my choir mates and the boyfriend still came over to celebrate my 16th birthday.

Seventeenth Birthday
As always, the constants were my choir mates and the boyfriend, who came and celebrated my 17th birthday with me at home.

The Debut
My college block mates (my college BFF Cathy leading them) surprised me at home with a sponge bob cake and some food on the eve of my birthday (no pics available here). The following day was my debut party at Discovery Suites, with everyone from my family and friends present.

Nineteenth Birthday
I’ll always remember this as my heartbreak birthday. Ask Angelo why? because he caused it. It happened over the weekend, when I celebrated my birthday with my choir mates. But on the day itself, it was full of love. I was with my college BFFs upon arriving school and had lunch with them. When I came home from school, my mama had a small “handa” for me, with one of my highschool bestfriends, Seska- surprising me. Right before I slept that night, I received a call from another bestfriend, Kuya – came to my home with kuya wai and pau to surprise me as well. Thank God for friends like them – heartaches, gone!

Twentieth Birthday
Highschool and College bestfriends unite to celebrated my 20th birthday with me at home. Our orgmates also joined the fun.

Twenty first Birthday
Oh! Enjoying the freedom we have in college. Almost my birthday when Carlo launched his band, Kollide’s new album. I was so happy because it was finally out. I was one of the few that has listened to some of his songs pre-recording days. The eve of my birthday was celebrated at our favorite hang out – Gerry’s Grill in Libis (It’s now gone by the way – it is where Microtel currently stands). Couldn’t remember most of the night because of San Mig Draft, Jose Cuervo and Absolut Vodka, but I’m pretty sure it was for the books. Following the day of my birthday – lunch with my family at Heaven n Eggs (Eastwood, also closed already) while nursing a hang over. I remember going to school after lunch.

Twenty second Birthday
It was a joint celebration with Tita Menie and Joshua’s birthday plus my second time going to the then, Embassy Club with my college BFFs! Yep, it’s me partying.

Twenty third Birthday
Yep. The eve of my birthday is again spent partying at Manor in Eastwood with my high school friends – Julie, Angel and Gael, joining us are my Pinky swear Inah and her sister Monic. Also met up with my friend, Hong with her boyfriend, Peter. The day of my birthday was spent with the Highschool barkada – Aimee, Ses and Deo and my family – dinner at Sizzling Pepper Steak in Eastwood and but of course, watching the then current Harry Potter installment.

Twenty fourth Birthday
It was a double celebration this year. I had a “big” party because it is also the year I graduated in college. I invited almost all the closest people in my life – Pretty Friends, 3rd Year Barx, My bestfriend Frap – KC and her family plus our friends, Vanessa, Tres Chikas-Grrkada-ESA friends – Jhe’s BFF Keith, Buffalo Negro, OLAC, Sollestre family and my family – including my brother Kuya Dominic’s family and Uncle Chris and Chad. I had the best time, as always – Gretch and Cat gave me that bikini body cake – which I seriously had that time (don’t ask me how it is now LOL). It’s also the first birthday I have had since my debut that I have a boyfriend, nax!

Twenty fifth Birthday
It was a spur of the moment night out with these 2 buffalo negro couples – Danix  & Whin and Sandel & Ezel at these small night spot in Riverside. The day of my birthday was Carlo’s Cinemalaya film, I-Libings gala – so Hong and I (with Jhe and Peter) watched it while Carlo, Mei and Pem met us up at Dencio’s after for my birthday dinner. When I got home, mom got a cake for me!

Twenty sixth Birthday
I celebrated my birthday a little early at my grandparent’s house with my cousin and her husband and daughter, Sky. But my birthday itself, I had dinner with Jhe and mama at Cajun Red Rock, then Jhe surprised me by inviting my bestfriend, Aimee with her sister, Kirstie to surprise me as well. Weeh! This was my last birthday as a single woman, my wish on this certain birthday came true.

Twenty seventh Birthday
From all the celebrations I had my entire life, it was this birthday that I consider the best one. My wish from last year is now in my arms – the best gift of my life – my handsome little ball of sunshine- Coco! I just had dinner with Jhe and Mama plus Coco at Dad’s in SM Mega.

Twenty eighth Birthday
My exact birthday was spent having dinner with my family at Gerry’s Grill – now inside Eastwood City. But the eve of my birthday, my bestfriend, skyped me – it’s the first birthday of mine that she is away. She was in Dubai then. A few days after, the whole PF came to our condo and we celebrate my birthday too. Before the month ended, the Jubelag family came to Manila so we had another dinner with Carlo and Mei.

Twenty ninth Birthday
I was so sad that day. It was a dinner at my Tito Judge’s resto in Marikina, Caffe Piansa with PF and family. But my mom couldn’t make it because my Uncle Jun was brought to the emergency room, almost dying (he is still alive btw!). Before the month ended, because my sister was very busy with her Hi-5 gig, it was just that time when we got to have a joint celebration at Viking’s.

And 30, flirty and thriving!
To be honest, I wanted to go to US for my 30th birthday and go to Disneyland on my exact birthday with Coco of course. But we haven’t applied for his US Visa and I still don’t have enough money for the trip so I thought of another option. I wanted to go out of town, like Coron or even just Cagbalete. But schedule of everyone doesn’t permit us to have one of those. I ended up a little depressed because it is a milestone year and I don’t have any plans. My friends were busy and all. But since my Uncle Chris and his family is in Manila now, I just opted to have dinner with them and my other family members. We were all hanging out at their room in Discovery suites when I received a text message – which was actually a tip that something was going on – that I ended up shrugging it off. Later, my mom asked me to get something downstairs and asked me to come up to another floor. It turns out that she and Aimee planned my surprise party with my family and just her for my friends. The others couldn’t make it kasi. But anyone it was just what I wanted, almost all the people close to me in one room. It was perfect.







Of course, the core of my being.



My 30th Birthday cakes – thank you mama for my favorite, blue berry cheesecake and Discovery Suites for my chocolate cake and birthday streamer.

Yours truly, at 3 decades.

But before all of these, way earlier than my birthday itself. I had an early dinner with the closest people in my life, Kuya Carlo and Holly Ann plus Kuya Sean. Missing Mei because she already went ahead for their Eurotrip, Kuya following her a few days after. Birthday bash complete.

Thank you all for making my whole day special. I wouldn’t have it in any other way. Exciting times ahead for my 30th year! Bring it on!