Blogs from Jupiter

Yesterday was the first time we celebrated Dad’s birthday without him. The family went out for dinner, as usual, at our favorite dampa restaurant Trinity Macapagal branch at the reclaimed area of Pasay City. Though there was sadness, the happy memories of Papa prevailed.

We dined at the sing-a-long area of Trinity wherein a karaoke host provided entertainment. The hostess dedicated a few old songs for Mama, and Mama forced my youngest brother Osiris and me to sing in front of the dining crowd. The place was a full house so there was hesitation on our part. Mama prodded us to sing invoking that Papa would be the happiest if we would sing. Okay, Mom! We’ll do this for Dad.

My brother sang first one of Dad’s favorites, One Last Song by this defunct boy band I can’t remember the name, followed by yours truly singing I Will Always Stay This Way In Love With You, and the forever perennial Half Crazy. Mama, being the stage mother that she is, was of course all smiles, and proud that we were able to pull through with our impromptus. I cracked a few high notes but it was all okay.

We all enjoyed our all seafood dinner.

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Today, on the other hand, is the birthday of a good friend and college classmate, Jennifer Casipit. Jen and I got close right after college. I would say we have a lot of things in common: we were both university working scholars at UST; we had the same majors, journalism; of course, we love to read, write and dine, the usual stuff with people who writes and edits for a living; and, of course again, our careers wherein we were once media practitioners who made that great cross over to the lucrative and more stable profession called public relations. I was with a newspaper, while Jen was with a magazine.

After college, Jen and I crossed paths at the Philippine Centennial Commission, you know that defunct ad-hoc government agency headed by the late former Philippine Vice President Salvador “Doy” Laurel. We were in charge of the celebrations of the June 12 Philippine Independence Day Centennial.

Jen and I were a team at the Centennial Information Center Media Bureau. We were “Jennifer and Jupiter”, the Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee of the Centennial! It was fun working with Jen: she was my grammar police; and she introduced me to words alien to this planet like “ennui” (I thought she was saying anyway… ahhh… ennui pala… whatever that is… we he he he), and that notorious squirm quote, “The temerity! The audacity! The unmitigated gall!”

Another common thing with Jen is that we both look up to one man who taught us public relations 101 at the Philippine Centennial, the person we all know and dread if there is a water interruption… Jess Matubig… errr Matubis (joke lang po Sir Jess!). Man! Sir Jess is one great mentor! He was our big boss and part-time father at the Centennial.

When I was in BayanTel in 1999, Sir Jess had me transferred to Maynilad, when he joined former Interior Secretary Raffy Alunan in Maynilad (Mr. Alunan was Sir Jess’s boss at DILG), and also got Jennifer months after I left Maynilad for ICTSI, that was in 2001 or 2002 I think.

But most importantly, Jen and I share common values like love for family, dedication to work, compassion, world peace, and all that mushy crap that makes the world go crazy… happily crazy. Jen to me is a sister whom I can always run to when I’m in deep manure. And of course, I’m a brother to Jen too, except that I’m in trouble most of the time.

I haven’t bonded with Jen for the longest time. I’m no longer sure if she has turned into a drunkard after introducing her to vodka or a nympho after introducing her to porn (joke! Wa ha ha ha). My goodness! I just realized I’m such a bad influence to Jen! 

Anyways Jen, the famous Anonymous once said: “Birthdays are nature’s way of telling us to eat more cake.” Me, I like tiramisu, so tira mo ko, tiramisu ah =D we he he he

I wish you good health, more wealth, and of course happiness… and of course, more sexy time with Amiel! ;D wink wink

God bless you Jen!