Monday, October 29, 2007

when ignorance is bliss

who would've thought that the next time i'd blog, i'd be forty. yes, forty... it's been THAT long (hahaha!).

officially, i turned the big 4-0 last thursday, but i celebrated that fateful number much, much earlier... four days earlier, to be precise. last monday, i was the pleasant victim of a surprise party. and WAS i surprised!

i was absolutely clueless to the conniving goings-on of the people around me... people at work, people in the community, my family, even CISV! the details, to this day, remain sketchy. from what i was told, planning started as early as 3 months ago. the brainchild was my pastoral leader, diday, ably assisted by my connection to everyone else, amy. how perfect is that? a control freak (and i say this lovingly, mother) and a wedding coordinator planned the party.

they planned everything... the guest list (which i loved! these were the people i wanted to see and be with), the schedule (down to the minutes of the program for the night), the script for my surprise (which i blew because i refused to open the door -- sorry), lootbags, and the food. more on that later.

in a matter of minutes, they transformed the terrace into a happenin' place complete with centerpieces and balloons... all in PINK, thanks to my loving neighbors. the moment i saw the tv, i kinda cringed because i knew that a video was afoot. gehd, had i known, i could have provided nicer pictures (hahaha!).

people brought my favorite fare for everyone to feast on... tocino, kare-kare, pansit pusit (thanks to the layas!), salad greens (yes, i am a leaf eater), diday's neighbor's leche flan, more tocino, and goldilocks mocha cake, to name a few. never thought i was THAT predictable, but hey, i was a happy camper that night!

people, by nature, are egotists. who doesn't want a surprise party?! it was everything i wanted and didn't. funny how people want attention yet shy away the minute it's given to them. that's why i know i can never be a celebrity (hahaha!). turning 40 was a blast! being surprised and surrounded by people i love and who have blessed me these first 40 years of my life have made ageing pleasureable. so pleasurable that i don't mind doing it again next year! *hint! hint!*