Celebrations: Happy Birthday, @strangebyday!

Your special day has come and gone in your time zone, but I still have a couple of hours to celebrate your coming to life!

Strangebyday and I go way back. Not as far back as she and Hazehung go, though. We were college blockmates and we instantly became members of the same barkada. We have seen each other through exams, crossing Taft Avenue, heartaches *barf*, rollercoaster and/or mediocre relationships and not-so-real “friends”.

Somehow, it was inevitable for us to become too busy after graduating from college. There are those we ate lunch with everyday when we were still in school that we have not seen after graduation – or maybe seen just once or twice. But Strangebyday and I, we have a special bond. One that will, I hope, forever keep us connected. We may not be each other’s best friend, but we are, well, as real friends as real friends should be.

As grownups (if there is indeed such a thing), we’ve gone through our on-the-job training together, some job hunting, The Ring, wee-hours-of-the-night shoulder-to-cry-on, snail mail (seriously!) and a lot more. We have seen each other grow from pre-adults trying to build individual identities to the present-day whatever-and-whoever-the-hell-we are.

She stood godmother to my firstborn, and if you knew me, that is saying something. Truth be told, she was not in the original list of godparents that Um and I selected. It was pretty much last minute when I asked her, and I have not regretted that decision. She has been doing a great job as Ninang, not only to Captain Awesome, but also as an honorary godparent to my Little HRH.

She is one of the reasons why life here is so much tougher, because she has been the friend I always depended on. I just wish that I am at least half as great a friend to her as she is to me.

On your birthday, I want to let you know how amazing you are! As I have tweeted, I wish you had fun. Though it was a very short-lived tradition, I terribly miss Christmas shopping (including going over the items we have to split the cost for, err, not-so-special people) and trying out new restaurants with you!

Here is to the last 12 years we have known each other! I look forward to sharing more memories with you – even with the Pacific Ocean between us! Cheers, Chongki! Buzz-buzz lang anytime!