Ala Eh!

We love to celebrate birthdays. Particulary here in my office with more than ten filipino buddies, here’s what to expect if your birthday is coming.

1. You will keep quite and wishing nobody will bring up any topic about birthdays.
2. Someone will suddenly ask you, "So, how much is your budget?".
3. You’ will not be surprised because you’ve been thinking for this.
4. If you’re a bit slow to say your amount, the food list will be given to you. That will help you decide on the "how much?".
5. You’ll recieve a cc e-mail inviting all the ten-plus filipinos in the office
6. Another e-mail will be  sent without your knowing asking who will contribute for the birthday gift(s).
7. You will be tempted to give them a hint of what you want for your birthday gift.
8. A birthday card will be passed around (you will ignore it when you notice it) for a short birthday greetings, all of those will somehow sound the same and you know it.
9. On your birthday, everybody will come except for those who didn’t contribute. You will be obliged to open the gift and the card will be passed around one more time. Depending on the  mood, they will make fun of the gift, greetings, and everything. It’s quite fun with all the expected jokes, laughter, feasting, teasing and of course the planning for the next celebrant. New guys will be asked when is his/her birthday.
10. Then you give your money but don’t worry it will be almost the same amount as of your gift+cards+wrappers+taxi fare.

You see, if your the celebrant, nothing to worry, just assume you’ll be buying some gifts for yourself. They will do it for you.

Of course there’s a lot of exceptions on this list…. hmmn yeah, I just made this up.

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This poem was composed and sent out as an e-mail invitation….
    PARA KAY LANIE

    ‘kaw ba’y nasasabik magngasab ng palabok
    ihanda ang ‘yong panga, ‘wag hintayin ang alok
    sundan lang amoy, at sa pinto’y pumasok
    lapain ang handa habang umuusok

    ‘di ko lubos na alam kung ano ang bam-i
    ang sabi ni Maria’y pansit ang ka-klase
    huwag na lang itanong kain lang ng marami
    subo lang ng subo hanggang sa mata__

    uy huwag ka’t class ito at may burger din daw
    sa konting ambag mo’y di ka magnanakaw
    ‘di dapat mahiyang masabing matakaw
    kung mauutot kay sabayan mo ng sigaw

    at meron din pork na nakasanayan na
    kung ano ang luto’y itatanong ko pa
    inihaw, adobo, ay kahit ano pa
    makisalo tayo, bumati’t magsaya

    ngayong busog ka na’y t’saka mo tanungin
    ang naghatid nitong malinamnam na hain
    dinig ko’y kaarawang ‘pagdiriwang natin
    maganda’t mabining kapamilya natin

    ‘lang taon ka na ba’t hindi mahalata
    sa aming paningin ikaw’y batang-bata
    may dal’wa ng supling ni walang mag-akala
    Mama Hapi Birtdey!! Ikaw daw ang taya

    — 2005 —

Pang-asar on birthday card…
    KAY ROLAN

    sa kaarawan mo, sana ‘kaw’y malasing
    upang kahit ’sang araw ay di mo mapansin
    ’santaon na naman mabilis na humaging
    dagdag sa edad mong bumagal bilangin

    — 2005 —

Pang-asar on birthday card…

    SI MAKISIG

    pinakamagaling sa luntiang paksa
    dahil kay tagal nang namalagi sa lupa
    sa edad kung nais n’yong tumama ‘ng ‘yong hula
    apat na dekada, dun ka magsimula

    binatang-binata sa tikas at tindig
    medyo lang pihikan’t hindi mapaibig
    malakas, matipuno, matigas ang bisig
    mabait huwag mailang, ganyan si makisig

    — 2006 —

Composed for this entry…
    HAPPY BIRTHDAY HERMES

    ipagpaumanhin aming kabiguan
    ang ‘yong paanyaya’y ‘di mapaunlakan
    pagbili ng regalo’y di rin maukulan
    huwag sanang isiping puro lang dahilan

    hangad namin sa ‘yo’y lahat ng magagaling
    pakasaya kayo’t ‘yan ay iyong piging
    balewalain mo, mga ‘di nakarating
    hamo’t sa susunod tayo’y maglalasing

    — 2006 —

Last year for around six months, I used to travel to work using my bicycle. Yes, it’s a short distance and if you want to calculate my speed, make my time arrival to office constant. It is fifteen minutes cycling if I leave home 8:45am, seven minutes if 8:53am, well beyond that forget the constant. After office, I always take the long way going home, not unless my wife SMS me in all CAPS (sample… "WE’R HNGRY EH, WER U?", yes no matter how long I wandered, it’s always "dinner together"). Some pros and cons indeed. On the c-side, close friends always complain that I’m stinking with sweat smell (yah they can get that close, hey wala akong putok ha!) especially when I’m late, it’s a sure waste of my expensive perfume, painful balls sometimes, rain suddenly pours when halfway to office, and my one or two breath-stopping miscalculations. On the positive side, I don’t want to say it’s a good exercise but at least I can eat my dinner in full to very full capacity without much added on my weight. When you get home sweating, panting, tired, thirsty and hungry, and a delightful dinner is just waiting for you, ai-yoh!, you can easily forget taking a rest and thinking about diet. But the best thing is I can save some money. Without my bicycle, if I can leave home early means I need to follow my wife to MRT station to carry her laptop which means longer way and higher bus fare and if I’m late I’ll take cab which is seven times more expensive. By the way if my wife let me snooze off a few more minutes means I’ll be late.

Okey enough, do you know what happened? Yes, I managed to save some money and able to buy two pairs of shoes. I just love these shoes and I promised to give my bike a break simply because I don’t want the pedal to scratch it. Then with my new shoes I tried walking from office to home and loved it because I can eat dinner even more ha ha. Bike rest extended, then we move house which is quite far from my office. Then barely a month passed by, they stole it, they stole my bike…. I feel sad about it, maybe it doesn’t shows but really am. Careless me.

The shoes, well, look under our bed, and don’t dare to step on it.

    BAGONG SAPATOS

    magaang ang lakad at napapasipol
    napapakayudkod parang asong ulol
    ang lumang sapatos kelan lang napulpol
    ‘tong bago’y may sintas na kay sarap ibuhol

    subok sa panahon ang luma’y ginamit
    maghapon man’g suot di nakakangawit
    bato’t alikabok di ka isasabit
    umula’t umaraw ay di nagagalit

    ngayon itong bago ay nais subukan
    ngunit ang hakbang ko ay laging marahan
    ingat na ingat pa’t ayaw marumihan
    konti man’g mabasa’y nais na punasan

    oo sapatos ko huwag kang atubili
    iingatan kita’t isusuot lagi
    kahit inutang ka’y aking pag-aari
    hindi kita iiwan h’wag ka lang ngingiwi