a trip down memory central

march 8 1993

the day i turned 18.

i just really wanted to keep the celebration quiet and simple. neverring the non-refundable downpayment made to coconut palace where i was to party in a fuck-me-red-geena-davis-oscar gown, i opted instead for a nice, sumptuous dinner with the family at the roma restaurant in manila hotel. that and a trip to hongkong.

that was my plan anyways.

that morning, my tita picked me up to go to the parlor (jesi mendez - hee hee) for hair and make-up which my mother insisted on. she said i should be beautiful on my birthday. i thought i should be too.

the next stop after the parlor was this shop in glorieta that sold only sesame street items. it was my absolute favorite place then although i cant seem to recall now what the store was called. heniways, so there i was, fully made up, checking out sesame street stationaries (yes, stationaries) when elvin and rommel walked in. elvin, who was already an ex at that time, was there to buy me my gift. a gift, of course, that i demanded from him. he loved me then you see and would have given me the moon if i had asked for it.

anyhoo.

after the mall, we went to my titas house where i was to be picked up for dinner. i dont remember what time it was when bobby, my brother, finally came to get me. "We have to go back to the house to get them" he said. "hassle" i think i said.

when we got to the house, all the lights were off. "hindi pa yata sila ready. baba muna tayo" bobby said. "hassle talaga" i thought.

as i walked in the dark sala, fully made-up in a sundress by the way (yes the same sundress that people mistake for a daster in my hat-ching picture), the lights suddenly turn on and a very loud and excited "SURPRISE!!!!" greeted me.

they were all there. my family. my relatives. my good friends from high school (go HIP!) and one good friend from college (UST pa to - only one because i didnt really have friends there eh.) as if that wasnt enough, mongolian grill catered it and, guys, if you are from san agustin batch 92, you know that mongolian grill was the best thing then.

so after all the besos y abrazos that went around, my mother gently pulled me aside and said "go up to your room and change na."

when i entered my room, there, laid out neatly on my bed, was my gown. an hour later, beautiful and beaming, i recieved 18 roses and wishes from relatives and friends. the same people i would have chosen myself if i had a hand in the planning :)

so i didnt get my fancy schamancy dinner. so i didnt get to wear my fuck-me-red gown. so it wasnt all that quiet and simple. i was surrounded by people who loved me enough to take time out to be part of something i will remember forever. and i also got my hongkong na rin :)

that was the day i turned 18.

(tonight i will be attending the debut of a cisv-mate. i hope one day she will look back at it with the same fondness that i feel)