Daily Report: At Least Candles Weren't Expensive

Nothing much going on today, although Epril and I did have lunch at Yureka Japanese restaurant. I had the sushi platter for 190 pisos... pretty good.


Horace O'Donnell Turner, age 1.

The big ballroom. People filled the
room to capacity, plus another 50 or
60 people sat outside on the patio.

Daddy Michael Turner, enjoying his
son's special day... and some lechon
baboy (roast pig).

Epril and I sat with Andy and Cynthia
Gilbert from Australia, good friends
of ours.This evening, it was out to the 1-year birthday party of Horace O'Donnell Turner, son of our friends Michael and Marissa Turner. In the Philippines, first birthdays are huge events — one's biggest birthday party ever.

So, in keeping with that tradition, Michael and Marissa pulled out all the stops, inviting 185 of their closest friends, renting out a ballroom at the SBC Party Center, hiring an emcee, lots of costumed cartoon characters, and at least one bar-be-qued pig.

(No offense to the baby, but Filipinos should pick a better number to have a required-by-tradition blow-out birthday party... like one's 10th birthday. That way, (a) you'll remember it, (b) it would be filled with people you actually know/recognize/enjoy, and (c) the pile of presents would cause a happiness overload that wouldn't subside for weeks.)

Another thing about first birthday parties apparently is that if you are invited to one, you are required to BYOB... bring your own baby. These babies/toddlers will then spend their time at the party being cooed at and fawned over by all in attendance, and generally adding to the celebration-of-babyhood atmosphere of the party. (If you don't have your own baby to bring, you can rent one at Robinson's.) Gravid ladies are also a must-have feature it seems, as a dozen or so attendants chose the still-in-the-wrapper version of BYOB.

Anyway, the food was good, the nursery-rhyme music was... uh... fitting, the beer was free, and the babies — Horace especially — all seemed to be remarkably in tune with the event, and handled the endless attention well. Congratulations to Michael and Marissa and Horace. I'll understand if next year's party doesn't top this one.