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So last week, I turned 29... and a few days later, a friend of mine from Culinary School died because of Lung Cancer. His death shook me up for a few days because it was so sudden and he didn't even let any of us know about his condition. I always saw him as a healthy and fun-loving person, a self-made man who made his millions through his hard work.
His death had a toll on me because it just made me realize that he was the first friend of mine who died. I've lost both my parents already and their deaths have been way too painful for someone so young. But losing a friend... it's a totally different story. It makes you realize that death can come at any age and to anyone. And that me being 29 is a wake up call for me to watch over my health now and be careful about how I take care of my body.
Anyway, I just wanted to share those thoughts with you guys. Have you already experienced losing a friend? How did you cope?
On the plus side... I received a number of freebies for my birthday. I wasn't really expecting something so big because ever since my dad died, my birthdays were always too painful to celebrate. He was always the first to greet me in the morning since he would barge into my room and tickle my foot. So when I lost him, I never knew if my birthdays would ever be the same.
My fiance and friends knew how I felt about my birthday so they made this day extra special for me. Plus, I prayed about it the night before and told God that I didn't want to feel bad on my birthday. He answered my prayer by giving me multiple reasons to smile through small surprises.
The first surprise was that at midnight, my fiance gave me my gift. He knew I was getting hooked to DIY, crafts and calligraphy. So he surprised me with a Calligraphy kit. I was so looking forward to what his birthday gift to me would be ever since last year's surprise (he gave me a Starbucks tumbler with a dedication written on it). It was really sweet of him to give me this calligraphy kit since it made me realize what a great listener he was!
On the eve of my birthday and in the morning, my two older brothers kept on greeting me through text and Facebook. Even though they were miles away from me, they kept on greeting me several times. It was kind of weird of them to do that but sweet no? My older sister also greeted me with a nice Facebook post that made me tear up a little. Throughout the day, friends and other family members sent me their greetings. It made my heart warm up and appreciate the friends I had.
My fiance and I had late lunch since we were so wrapped up in our work. When we got back to the office, I was up for another surprise-- this time from our office's HR team and supervisors. They usually prepared a cake for all the birthday celebrants of a certain month and have them eat the cake in the pantry. This year, they surprised me by walking up to my cubicle, a lighted Krispy Kreme Kruffin in hand, and singing me a 'Happy Birthday.' I was so embarrassed but touched by their gesture.
I'm collecting Minions for my niece :)
Shortly after, I received a notice from the post office that my package from China had already arrived. I had been waiting for the package since early June so having it arrive early was an answered prayer! It also helped that when we picked it up later in the afternoon, the rain had stopped and there weren't too many people there. Plus, I only paid the tax which was around P112.
My friend from Church, Jen, connived with my fiance and she asked him to go down the office to get my surprise. She gave me a book in preparation of the next chapter in my life-- to be a wife.
That night, my closest friends and I celebrated by eating dinner at one of my new favorite restaurants, Gibbs' Hot Wings. We ordered the usual stuff but learned of other delicious treats. When it was time to get the bill, the owner didn't charge us the pitcher of drink we ordered. Thank you!
Wasabi Teriyaki Wings
Potato Chips
Angel Wings (My favorite!)
Potato Wedges
Gibbs' Hot Wings (another favorite)
Honey Garlic Wings
Carbonara (A MUST TRY!)
It was such a great birthday this year and I couldn't ask for anything else. I was with close friends and was remembered by those who truly mattered in my life.
And since this is a food blog, I decided to share some tips to you guys on how to get freebies on your birthday:
Krispy Kreme
If you have the Krispy Kreme Rewards card, you'll receive an email telling you to claim your free Krispy Kreme doughnut of your choice between a particular period of time. I think I received my email a week before my birthday and I could claim it a few weeks after my birthday as well. But since I wasn't expecting any cake, I decided to get my free doughnut on my birthday, so yay! Starbucks
Another way you can get a freebie on your birthday is if you have the Starbucks Card. You can claim a free cake along with a drink you have purchased. On my birthday this year, I decided to claim my free cake since I passed up the opportunity last year. I went with their Strawberry Shortcake, which was so tasty and good!
Strawberry Shortcake from Starbucks
Globe Rewards
Also, if you have a postpaid plan under Globe, you will receive a text message from them informing you of their gift for you. A few days after my birthday, I received the text informing me to claim my half dozen Original Glazed doughnuts at only P78. I just needed to show the text to them to claim the discount.
YakiMix
Although we didn't dine here, YakiMix has always been a favorite buffet for my family. I've read on the newspaper that they have a birthday promo treat for the celebrant that starts 7 days before his birthday and extends 7 days after his birthday. The celebrant just has to dine at the restaurant with his friends and he will be free of charge. His friends will have to pay for their food, however.
If you're interested in YakiMix's birthday promo, you can check with the nearest branch so you can confirm this promo and its guidelines.
Do you know of any other establishment that offers freebies on your birthday? Let me know in the comments below!
