of chocolates, flowers and teddy bears...

it is funny that on valentine's day morning, i was having flashbacks of my most memorable valentine which dates back to 1985...yup, that long ago. anything that came in between yesterday and valentine's day that year are either insipidly tasteless, or simply not worth remembering.

so what happened in 1985? i had a rather eloquent suitor who wrote me poems and letters on intermediate school pad paper and on valentine's, he sent me a huggable white teddy bear with red paws and eyes and bow...ofcourse, it went with a bundle of the familiar triangular prism cartons of Toblerones, my favorite chocolate then :) every girl in my batch envied me...the newcomer from San Diego CA looked very much like Martin Nievera, was a towering 5'9", intelligent and suave... typical crush ng bayan i should say. but what made that occasion memorable?

hmmm if he was every girl's dream in my batch, well I, didn't find him awesome. to me, he was just like any other handsome boy who'd go for drop dead gorgeous girls. i wasn't that. he went to the same org i was affiliated with, and i found him too fresh and audacious...that made him unattractive to me. besides, my friends were all gaga over him, and that didn't impress me at all! i had this attitude towards boys...i won't look at you, you look at me, and i don't care if you won't because i don't need you. well, he did look at me, and i didn't know it. he cared to listen to my debates, and i didn't know it. he followed me to the jeepney stop, and i was too oblivious i didn't know it. he called me incessantly over the phone to ask about physics and other innane stuff, he was trying to catch my attention, and i didn't know it. but the boy was resourceful, he knew how to get to me. finally, he decided to write me letters and poems...and that, caught my attention. the valentine gifts came after that i said "yes" :)

however, it came like some sort of bad luck because nothing really worth remembering happened after that year, and there were years when i even dreaded the advent of february...but again, not until yesterday :)

it was almost 7:30 in the evening and i haven't had a call from my surfer dude. i was thinking, he probably is the type who finds valentine's day as cheesy and unimportant, and so i conditioned myself not to expect anything. after all, i was sort of used to not expecting anything at all.

but Will, sweet as he really is, phoned me and said we're going out to dinner with his brother and sister-in-law. he picked me up 10 minutes after he called...and guess what? he has flowers for me with a little teddy bear hugging the stems, a box of chocolates that had a card on it, and a flashlight keychain so i wouldn't have to fumble with the door locks when i open the front door at night :) isn't that awesome? no? right, it's downright sweet, i was ecstatic! i simply loved the gesture and boy, was i surprised! it had been 21 YEARS...and i never thought the magic will ever happen again :)

thanks Will...it could have been anybody, but it's you that really made the day very memorable and special. yes, i'm looking forward to spending more valentine's with you :)

here's a video that my friend Polo shared with me. it is characteristic of the occasion, but i'm sharing it with you...let's dance to it.

like a star - Corinne Bailey Rae

happy hearts day!

coincidental that we both like this song...flashbacks of good memories...everything now leads to you.

let's celebrate, shall we? :)

Mamma Mia and the surfer dude

the first time i went to NYC was when my best friend Abbey arrived from manila in September last year. ofcourse, my friends from Zobel were gracious enough to tour me around broadway. we visited a record store and found Leovie inspecting the Mamma Mia cd for her hubby Froi. she bought it eventually and bought myself a copy too. i thought it's a great cd, having all ABBA songs compiled and used ingeniously in a play!

weeks passed and i felt a very strong desire to go back to NY and see this play. i've read reviews about it and critics raved about how enjoyable and funny it was.

This show is extremely tacky and anyone who completely detests ABBA

should stay well away! However, fans of ABBA will be blown away and taken on

a nostalgic trip down memory lane with a breathtaking rollercoaster ride of their

favourite ABBA songs. This is held together with

a sugary story that makes the evening exactly what it is, a lot of fun, fun, fun! This is not
attempting to be a Sondheim musical, or anything of the sort, it is just a vehicle in which to
celebrate all those superb ABBA songs and in this the musical
works perfectly. - Darren Dalgish, Prince Edward Theatre

''Mamma Mia!'' manipulates you, for sure, but it creates the feeling that

you're somehow a part of the manipulative process. And while it may be widely

described as a hoot by theatergoers embarrassed at having enjoyed it,
it gives off a moist-eyed sincerity that is beyond camp. - New York Times

sure, i also found ABBA corny while i was growing up...but hearing Dancing Queen play over the years, needless to say, accounts for its popularity through a cross-section of varied generations. its upbeat melody and swing rhythm makes it an all-time favorite!

december came and i found myself going to the west coast to meet a friend and spend Christmas time with family. to two of my aunts whom i last saw 22 years ago, it was obviously a tearful reunion! long story short, i loved my vacation there, but at the back of my mind, Dancing Queen and Honey, Honey kept playing... i hummed along.

now, to digress a bit...i got back from Hayward on the 30th of december and sometime between going back to the beach and my vacation, this cute surfer dude finally decided to talk to me and asked me out on a date. although we agreed to see each other on a thursday evening, january 4 after my PTC, knowing that i'd be struggling due to inadequate sleep (just as when i was back, my sleep pattern changed to west coast mode...haaay), i still agreed to meet up with him. why? because he said he's asian, seemed very intelligent and respectful...and yes, his smile is irresistible :)

and so we dated, he was wearing quiksilver shirt and shorts (i thought it was cool albeit the... inappropriateness hahaha sorry honey!). i knew he was teenee weenee bit edgy, but he remained calm and looking cute. he talked a lot, which i really appreciated because i was so drained after long hours spent in school. he surprised me with a bouquet of pink roses and stargazers, i was flattered and totally amazed that a guy brought up here would do that in this day and age! he talked about himself, what he does, albert einstein and the theory of relativity...hmmm without meaning to impress him, having gone through all that brain stuff in college and grad school, i was able to relate and must have amused him a bit that, to me, the twin paradox is as mundane and as matter-of-factly as the falling leaves in autumn :) long story short, we clicked, chemical bond was obviously there, and found ourselves wanting to see each other more and almost everyday thereafter.

that same weekend, we decided to see Mamma Mia! and lo and behold, we were on our way to NYC after a few days! since Will Solock (yeah, the surfer dude's name) volunteered to drive, it was pretty convenient for us to go anywhere we wanted and finally, i had a much awaited blissful reunion with my cousin Edwin and his wife and kids as we drove through Springfield.

words can't describe how thrilled i was having been able to hug Edwin (after 12 long years) and my nieces. to top it all, i also took pleasure in that long drive to NY, watched and enjoyed a much coveted musical, had fun at the Liberty Island with my best friend Abbey and her fiance then Dennis (and ofcourse, the surfer dude), strutted the chilly streets of broadway and held hands under the misty skies with this gentle surfer dude, luxuriated in deep and not-so-deep conversations with the surfer dude over cups of mocha cafe and cafe americano (thank God, there was Starbucks in almost every street in Broadway), hugged and posed endlessly to Dennis' cam (Dennis' request), laughed gratingly at myself as i tried vainly to translate Magasin to the surfer dude...

awesome? it was a blast! the trip, the musical, the repartee, the company...the emotions...it was the best birthday gift i ever had in years!

to my surfer dude, thank you so much! driving to NYC is no joke, but you made things happen for me...Mamma Mia was delightfully sweet...and so are you :)