El entiende

I was neckdeep in work the past two weeks that I was unable to write anything about my birthday.

Petite and I decided to celebrate our birthday with the family by ordering to-go from Banana Leaf Curry House and Wok Inn. We had char kwai teow, spicy clams, buttered chicken, stuffed squid, oysters in oyster sauce and wok inn famous sipa. My sister’s boyfriend Dondon brought sans rival from Icings, called Melting Moments. I was hesitant to include the name of the cake in this entry but I also felt the urge to show how ridiculously the sans rival was named. Try it though because it’s really good.

I also ordered lasagna and shanghai from Mark’s mom for the office blow-out and among my guests were Berna Romulo-Puyat and Anna Larucea (haha I know they’re both out of circulation..i just wanted to give my office party star quality, thanks to Director Cui). The following Saturday, I had dinner with Jerv at Casa Armas at Podium.

I received gifts from my sisters, cousins, aunts, officemates and from Jerv. I got pieces of jewelry, bag, shoes, blouse, South Spa GC, cake, two dozens of roses, etc. But among these, the best gift was my Tuesday gift. I call it the Tuesday gift because Jerv gave me something for each day of my birthday week and this was the gift he gave on Tuesday, the eve of my birthday. The Tuesday gift was a powerpoint presentation of 23 things about me. It was supposed to be a scrapbook of some sort, only it was digital. I think he was inspired by the scrapbooks my cousin, Ate Jan, makes.

I was very touched by the gift he made and very proud of how my boyfriend perceives me. Good thing there was a lot of pictures available in the office network that he was able to use pictures of me in action (read: Bubbles singing in office videoke parties, Bubbles sorting donations for landslide victims, Bubbles cheering, Bubbles in “maangas” look in one roundtable meeting, etc. etc.) He also has pictures of me in college, pictures of me with my family (which I think he got from my e-groups with my cousins) and a baby picture of me. If only I can show it here.

I loved this gift above all because it showed me how far and deep my boyfriend already knows me. It’s good to know how your boyfriend or girlfriend sees you and I can say that Jerv knows me as much as I know myself. I learned that the things he values about me, all 23 of them, are the same things I actually value. And ultimately, I believe that it takes someone like him, a person who truly and unconditionally cares about me, to be able to execute something as grand and jaw-dropping as that.

It was pure bliss viewing myself on the monitor from the point of view of Jerv..just pure bliss.