21 and blissful

Last February 18, a schmuck turned 21. I woke up that morning thinking I AM 21! 21 years have gone by and still, I live in this crazy damn world which surprisingly, taught me how life rolls and how to roll in it in return!

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I was expecting that many people will greet me through text..hehe! and honestly, I was kinda disappointed that the number didn't turn out quite as expected. There are some expected people to greet and there are quite a few which surprised me and made me wonder how come they knew..hehe! Ms. Timay called me twice but I haven't answered it. She called me again that afternoon. She sang the whole Happy Birthday Song! My gosh! I didn't see that coming! hahaha! Love ya Mother Queen!

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I was excited to have dinner with the Royalty Girls that night! It has been quite a while that we haven't been together. Last time we talked we were all just a bunch of problematics! This time, we had time for chikas and more chikas!

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We ate at Afrique's. I was kinda sad I haven't seen Danny Gokey's performance on American Idol that night..hehe! But nevertheless, I enjoyed the night through the company of best friends, endless girl talks and the flavors of Afrique's Special Pizza, Carbonara and Spicy Sausage Ragu and coffee at Coffee Break.

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• At the end of the meal, as a Royalty Girl tradition, they gave me their personalized gift. This year it was a Box Of Love. (I was telling them that I am materialistic this year! haha! Phone patches or special appearances will only trigger a hell of a PTSD!) This box was filled with 21 cards and letters from close friends. They even included letters from the "people always leave club"..haha! I am a self-confessed letter/card/message junkie! I love these things! These are the things that show hearts and souls and realness more than anything. I would rather have a letter than receive some material thing that I don't even need or worse, something not personally hand picked by the giver..(hehe! this can happen, but not that it had or not that i know of..hehe).

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• This box of love made me realize that I MATTER. At times, I feel inferior and in my worse times, I feel invicible. In my worst? I am alone, lonely and forlorn. It is not the best feeling in the world, trust me. But simple things like this made me realize that I am not a shadow in this world. Rather, I can be a light casting on beautiful people to also cast shadows of light to others. Or maybe, I can be that shadow of light. These 21 people make me feel that not only I am in, but most importantly, I belong.

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• Let me say my sincere thanks to these people, in no particular order:

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1. Mama -- thanks a bunch for a bunch
2. Papa -- thanks in additional to giving me money for the dinner before I ask for it..(hahaha!)
3. Shobe -- thanks also for the message and for just being there even if were not the closest of bonds
4. Shoti -- my gulay! how'd you know I wanted a boyfriend for my birthday?! haha! thanks for pulling off a double face by being a cheer and a pain all at the same time!
5. Dhanzel -- didn't saw yours coming! laugh and roll, baby!
6. Jessica --we've been friends since first year and you never fail to greet me on my birthday! I really, really appreciate your letter! Congrats for passing the boards! I cannot forget that you even called me up when I passed mine. I was thinking of doing the same but I was stuck in the internet trying to find your names..hehe..thanks again for the letter. You even did a few artwork there. thank you mucho! and I'm very happy for you! congrats!
7. Jenny -- we've also been friends since first year..hehe..I enjoyed your letter! It made me smile..haha! especially the blank (----) part! hehehe! Good Luck in Med school!
8. Kwini --your letter made me feel really good about myself. thank you for remembering my good moments (helping out during the boards, especially the Nursing Olympiad and even my online shop..hehe). I was really touched. good luck in Med school!
9. Beachbum -- my gosh! you were wishing me to have a boyfriend since a year ago during our retreat! haha! and I still haven't forgot that you sent me this message: "Kai, wen gani bday ni Hazel?" hahaha! its, OK...i enjoyed reading your letter!
10. Isa -- thank you! I appreciate your effort in writing me one. I know you still have your review time but you have managed to squeeze in a little time for me. The stickers spelling out my name sealing the letter are cute! hehe! sometimes, i also missed those times that we have activities here at my house..hehe! we all enjoyed it!
11. Nang Ping Ping -- thanks for the letter nang! I really enjoyed our chika moments during our IVT completion! i was also touched by your message. haha! Im glad "nasadyahan kamo"..haha! thanks also for going out of your way to give it to kai at her house..hehe! I appreciate it!
12. Yanyan -- hey TV and movie buddy! hehe..I'm touched that you bought a stationary pad just for me..haha! for that, i'm gonna download more movies for us! haha! thanks yan! im glad One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, Twilight, loads of movies and books brought us closer..hehe! till the next download!
13. Nong Don -- need i say more?! haha! in case, you haven't cullenized me yet, i have got to say a few etchos aside words. (i'll try to keep it short..i'll really try..) thanks for the endless random smiles you've generated. It is not the easiest thing in the world to keep those smiles to myself, yah know! i really really enjoyed our late night lengthy talks and laughs when you were still here. haha! and even if you are already there, it's still late night for you but afternoon for me..haha..(daw la gakonek..cge lng..) even if our livers bleed to death for laughing in the middle of the night, sige man gyapon! i guess, silly is an understatement for us. we are higher than the superlative for silly! haha! my gosh! we have made a whole new different world to escape if we're depressed in just '2' months! you have been my partner in crime and in playing with words! haha! thanks for giving my blog half (or more) of its 300+ hits..but more importantly, thanks for listening to my ramblings and for doing me favors although you don't have to or it may be out of your way and was not pushed through..I just wish you're here to see the happy faces of the nov takers..hehe! It would be more fun for Team Betamax. haha! thanks for being obsessed with DH! Here's to more DH, orange chicken and let's sing "Happy Together"!haha! Muchos gracias mi amigo! (sorry, laba gd sya ya..immune ka naman ah!) and you do realize I placed you in the number '1'3', right?!
14. Ms Timay -- thank you for being there and being our Mother Queen. We didn't see your "membership" coming but it was surely worthwhile and worth cherishing. Thanks a lot for inspiring us to rise above ourselves and be the best we can. Thanks also for putting up with our crap..hehe..I will always enjoy chika moments with you! and thanks for singing the whole birthday song on the phone! I enjoyed listening to it.
15. Jennifer -- wow. hehe! well, i was not surpised you have a letter for me since i saw your message in the royalty girls' friendster account..hehe! but i didn't read it for surprise's sake. I'm missing you Jen. (gosh! i feel like crying! haha!) we have so much in common! to start, we're both drama queens! hehe.. i really missed our long talks the most. we can talk all day! How i wish you have visited me here when you went home from Canada. I was really glad you sent me a letter. It still brings the same feeling when we sent constant emails to each other. Thank you for making me feel like I'm the best person in the world with your every line. And although I'm not still comfortable being called super intelligent or I am this girl with extraordinary brains, thank you still for believing that I got them. hehe! Love you always, Jen! Miss you much!
16. Micay -- my cousin and fellow Ra-Ra girl! haha! yeah, I do hope we can work together in the States so that we can do all crazy stuff that we have always imagined, like, watching the 4 sisters ride a roller coaster! haha! that would be so much fun! Konek gid ang I Hope You Dance nga song on your letter. I also posted this on my previous entry. Thanks for the message. Indeed, being 21 is scary but i'm looking forward to the best things that can happen! And oh! Tomorrow will be the Oscars..hehe! I do hope we can watch some of it together in the future! hahaha!
17. Bibi -- I surely miss those old times when we were going at each other's houses! haha.. and yeah, hulam notebook and tutor pa gd! haha! remember "DG" aka codename for cheat? haha! not to mention the Turon, Chicharon and Hotdog! haha! Those were the good times! I sometimes miss being childhood bestfriends again..hehe! At least were still friends now! and i will still be here for you! congrats for passing the boards!
18. , 19, 20, 21. ROYALTY GIRLS -- Kai, Jelai, Queencie, Chessa ----- (golly, i feel like crying!hehe) what can I say?! You pulled it off again! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you so much for giving me a boxful of love! Thank you for going to Molo, Seven Seven, crossing barriers to get through Canada, Lancaster and Glendale or wherever it is just to collect 21 messages of love for me.. I'm touched! haha! Having friends like you made me appreciate life more. I've told you this in our friendship diary and I will tell you this again. You are one of the bestest thing that has happened to me! This friendship is worth every effort that we've put into. People may be amazed by how much we do extra things for one another and how we do it with flair. I am not surpised by it at all. Isn't this what friendship is? Norm na ni ya sa aton! haha. We have told each other to show them what friendship means and I guess, in our hearts we know that we already did. We have been through a lot, not to mention our uniquely crazy love lives or the lack of one! Our friendhip has been put to test and surely, not one royal soul bailed out. We will always be thankful to Him for that. I guess all I have to say is sorry for being such a bitch at times, sorry for not being the most accepting and supportive friend, for being stubborn, for coming off too strong at times, for being a pain, for being frank or too frank, for being hurtful, for being bossy or evil-ey manipulative, for not being very appreciative, for being such a joke, for laughing at you when you cry (we all do this, don't we?! haha!), for pulling pranks at you, for being hambog and suyaan and ambisyosa or even a gaga monster. Sorry for all of the negatives in me. You know it as much if not even more than me. And I AM SO THANKFUL that even if I am all this you still looked passed the X marks and focus on the few checks that I am. People at times misunderstand me but you girls, pushed your efforts to understand. (ok , i'm tearing up now. I'll wash up first before MIG is drenched..hehe) I will always feel lucky that I have you. I may not have a ton of friends that others have but having the four of you forever can be enough for me. We are individually diverse beings but surprisingly we gelled into one. I can talk about all of you to anyone. I am so proud of how this had gone a long way. I hope we will have to put out all our efforts to stay this bonded. It's not everyday that I can befriend someone and call her a Royalty Girl. It only takes the four of you, plus me and mother queen, to complete the puzzle! Sydney White's mother was correct. "The friends you find in college are you're friends for life". I am SURE as hell of it! Loving you sissies! Congrats on passing the boards for the three of you. Queens, good luck on your Med school! Mwah and mwah!

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• Thanks to all of you who braved their soul and placed their hearts into every line and word for me! Thanks for being part of my 21 years of existence! God Bless all of us! I wish all the best for all you!

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Love and bliss frecklesnoots!

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• Listening To: Love of My Life by Jim Brickman