22 and counting

There is a saying that goes like this: "Forget your wife's birthday once and you will never forget it the rest of your life." Thank God I am spared of a woman's wrath simply because I forgot to greet my wife a happy birthday.

I can never forget her birthday. She made sure I did not in a very subtle way. She chose the same date to be our wedding day. Hence, last Friday, we did not only celebrate her birthday but our 22nd wedding anniversary, too. Twenty two years and still going strong. As has been the family practice, we went on an overnight stay in a different place to bond. Originally, we planned to stay in a hotel in Tagaytay but we all agreed we wanted something different. We remembered how much we enjoyed Balay sa Indang and decided it was worth a second time. And have fun we did.

We arrived there at around 11, in time for lunch which was made up of fresh vegetable salad you laced with oranges, sweet corn and eggs and a choice of two dressings. For the main course, we were served Java rice and white rice, chicken barbecue, pesto spaghetti and steamed fish. After lunch, the guys played billiards while the girls helped their mom fix our things inside the room. We jammed and sang a few songs and went swimming afterwards. At dinnertime, we pigged out on bagoong rice, crab stick wrapped in fried lumpia wrapper dipped in a wasabi sauce, onion soup, shrimps with mushrooms, vegetable garnished with bacon and t-bone steak.

The weather was so good you would never think it was summer. The terrible heat we experience here in Manila has not touched that part of the country. If only I can stay there everyday the whole summer season.