Tats' Birthday Excursion

On October last year I made an impulse online purchase of roundtrip tickets for two to Bangkok for January because...

1. my work was driving me crazy and i wanted a reward for all the hard work
2. it was to mark a milestone - my 30th birthday
3. shempre Cebu Pacific was on SALE!

Off to Bangkok we went with our credit cards still burdened by the expenses from the Holidays and where do we go on our first day? The Gem Production Company where Tats combined credits from 3 cards to get me a ruby necklace (aaaw shucks!)... needless to say, we got maxed out and had to subsist on the little cash on hand for the rest of the trip which wasn't really hard since Bangkok is quite budget-friendly... but that's another story.

Come March, we we're debt free but I was still struggling as I just got back to work after a 2-month hiatus. Then there was the 17th day of the month, glaring at me from all calendars - it's Tats, birthday! Well no worries, he was never into parties or anything fancy, perhaps he'll be happy with just me popping out of a box...

But as the 17th hovered, he shoots me with, "So, what do you have for my Big 3-0?"
I froze like a crook under a spotlight... what can else can I say other than... "It's a surprise!"

It was a frenzy from then - I thought of a concept, looked for a venue, secretly passing road maps to friends and on D-day, Tats and I were off to South Superhwy.

He was all cranky missing the exit and not knowing where I was taking him until we pulled into parking and 3 of our selected friends were there... surprise!

As hostess, I made sure the journey towards the destination was eventful. For lunch I brought them to Balinsasayaw in Silang, Cavite. I've been there with officemates before... dining is in cogon huts dotting the hills with flowering shrubs along the pathways. The signature dish is "Crispy Pata-tim", that's golden fried pork leg... crunchy skin, tender meat, served on a bed of chopsuey (crisp veggies with slightly sweet sauce)... heavenly! We also ordered sinigang na sugpo, vegetable kare-kare, grilled liempo and tuna belly among others. There were 5 of us and bill was under P2k! Great Filipino food with cool, fresh Tagaytay breeze sure can kick the ass of most air-conditioned fine dining resto!

While digesting I took them to Ilog Maria Bee Farm where they delighted in fresh honey, beeswax lipgloss, bee pollen supplements, handmade organic soaps and more!

Then off we went down the winding roads to Talisay. The main road was rugged until I led them through plain white gate and right before us was breathtaking Taal Lake with the volcano not far behind.

I discovered Walter Bruan's (0437730286) place through contacts from Taal Lake Yacht Club just 2 gates away. It's basic rows of whitewashed cottages each with air-conditioned room, 2 queen-sized beds, cable TV, vented toilet & bath and an outdoor sitting area with kitchen and refrigerator for only P2k - coolness!

We opened a bottle of wine and placed the other 6 in the freezer, laid out a spread of assorted cheeses, sauteed shitake mushrooms, vegetable sticks, fresh fruits and chocolate fondue. We had an iPod, speakers and the rest of the day to just chill... and chill we did.

Our friends left at 10pm while Tats and I stayed overnight. The next day, we celebrated at home with family over steak, mashed potatoes and cake.

Initially I thought of throwing a big barbecue party at the house but I figured that 2 intimate celebrations was more to Tats liking and I was right... it turned out much cheaper too!