As far we can remember it, my mom always cooked spaghetti during our birthdays. Eventually, she taught Manang Terrie, our loyal cook, how to make that spaghetti with ground beef and hotdogs and basil leaves and it became a staple for every birthday celebration. When we were kids, we associated birthdays with big celebrations, where the house was filled with family and guests. At the end of the evening, when all the guests had left, our friends would stay behind and we’d continue talking late into the night, occasionally standing up to get our third or forth helping of spaghetti. After two months of living here and coming home to an empty apartment, it felt wonderful to come back to my apartment and be welcomed with a home-cooked meal made by my mom, Brandie, and Wella. Indeed, it was a very happy birthday day.
The rants and raves of a copy/comic book/writer in Manila.