Another year older

It's officially over. I am now a year older. The only thing about being born during the last quarter of the year is that it seems like you've been just as old anyway. People count your age at the coming of the year. It is the years they find the difference to without minding the months, right. So, come January, I will already be a year older again.

This year was spent without a bang. I decided to just stay home with my family, waiting for my cellphone to ring and reply to well-wishers. There is a natural high celebrating it quietly. My loving wife who had to go on overtime yesterday went to the market very early in the morning, cooked lunch that consisted of beef kaldereta, a stewed beef which to me is like the Indian bhiryani, especially that she uses coconut milk to thicken the sauce, and, of course, pancit bihon, thin noodles cooked in soy sauce, chicken bits, assorted veggies, for long life. How simple can that get? Yet, we had a feast.

For dinner, it was my turn to cook. I cooked some seafood pasta and I think it went well, too. Although I haven't exactly perfected the recipe as it seem to be wanting of something, we had a good dinner.

Actually, the splurging was done last Friday. Hubby and wife, Ollie and Kathy are also celebrating their birthdays this month and decided we should all go to Wensha Spa. Now, if you haven't been there yet, I think it would be a good idea to treat yourself and your wife/partner for once. It's with all the amenities of a spa like jacuzzi, steam and sauna baths, a one-hour massage and an eat-all-you-can feature - all available for an eight-hour stay.

I arrived at the place around eight and my friends were already eating. I started with rice, chicken and vegetables. The penne pesto (well, it seemed like it was pesto) didn't seem delectable as it looked too dry. After that, we splurged on shabu-shabu. We had all those meat and fish ball thingies, thin white noodles, vegetables and whatever we can throw on the broth.

We chatted awhile then decided to part with the ladies and take a shower. Us guys went to the steam bath where we stayed about twenty minutes. We also tried the sauna bath but I was right in front of the huge furnace and couldn't stand it. Then off we went for a massage. We were lucky to be given a room exactly for the three of us. After the massage, we went out again in our robes, (it was very comfortable) and met the ladies to eat some more. We went home around 1:30 am. And we have not touched a single alcohol! That's another new in our long list of agenda everytime we went out. That was fun. We sure will be doing it again. See you there soon!