Best I ever had.

If someone's to ask what's my most unforgettable birthday ever, I'd say my 24th. It was really special to me as I got to celebrate it with Chris for the first time. He picked me up from work that day, carrying a huge bouquet of pink roses which generated quite a number of "ooohs" and "aaahs" from the amused crowd of teachers and Korean students. I recieved flowers from some boys before, but nothing as big and intricate as that, so I held onto it awkwardly cause it felt so huge in my hands. Since it was my birthday, I get to choose the menu and restaurant I wanted. I chose "The Red Crab" in Tomas Morato, simply because I had a pleasant dining experience there, and I couldn't think of any other place that serves better-tasting crab dishes. I ordered the 'Spicy Szechuan-style' while Chris got the conventional 'Steamed' one, and we each had a glass of wine after that.

The next day was our trip to Baguio, our sort of 'extended' celebration. Two of my closest Korean friends from school insisted on coming when they knew about my plans. They tried to bribe me (disguised as birthday gifts) with a handbag, a huge teddy bear, and baseball cap so it was impossible for me to say 'no'. I also brought along a friend who also works at the language school. We didn't have a car so there was no other choice but to take the bus. It was a long and tiring 5 hours... We settled in our ancestral house which required a bit of cleaning as the caretaker wasn't exactly informed that we were coming. It was the same house where my father lived during his grade school days. They renovated it after the devastating earthquake that hit Baguio in 1990. Mostly, they used wood as it could withstand eathquake better than cement.

M and V (the two other Korean guys) tried their hands on cooking but most of their attempts were unsuccessful, so we resorted to simply ordering from Pizza Hut or KFC. During daytime, we'd visit different tourist spots... and at night, we'd all hang-out in Session Road. They love drinking so much that there wasn't a day that they didn't drink while we're there. M and V garnered a lot of attention from the local ladies whenever we went out. A lot of women (not necessarily sober) approached our table and introduced themselves which was quite a shock to me. I know the boys weren't used to that much attention in Manila, so they felt really awkward (but I can guess what it did to their ego).

On our last day, we all went to Burnham Park. It was mildly drizzling that night, and our clothes were stained from the rain. Chris was so impressed with Baguio that he said he wanted to live there in the future with our kids... I was in total shock as it was the first time he mentioned something about marriage and kids. I didn't know he was 'that' serious with our relationship. What he said made me really happy. I couldn't think of a better birthday gift than knowing the person I love, wanted to spend the rest of his life with me...