When we pulled up outside Jong's house I thought "Oh, cool! Jong and the kids are coming, too. That'll be fun."
But no sooner had we got inside the door …
The strains of Happy Birthday To You rang out and I turned to find Jong, Joy, Martha, Josiah and Mave armed with cute little sweet rice cakes with individual candles (not fifty, that would have brought the Fire Brigade).I may be an old curmudgeon but how sweet is that?
Jong is amazing! He had laid on some glorious food for us: Here (before he got started on the banana fritters) are adobo squid, sweet and sour fish, sweet and sour vegetarian and "Quorn-chicken" and mango, with delicious jasmine rice.Now that is what I call a fabulous lunch!
Thom tried his hardest to beat the wide-angle lens but it just got him.In the background are Richard and his girlfriend (who is lovely but whose name has completely flown from my head).
Richard (aka Richard Penguin) presents an acoustic music show on Joy's radio station, but many decades ago we hung out and played in bands together and generally whooped it up in a thoroughly reprehensible manner for many a long year.
We'd lost touch for ages but then when I met Joy and checked out her radio station website there he was and it has been wonderful catching up.
We have musical plans again. Watch this space.
At two o'clock, when Joy is usually presenting her show live (she had pre-recorded this week's especially), we tuned in only to find her telling the whole city about my fiftieth birthday!
Sheesh!
How cute are these guys? I've not got a paternal bone in my body but I love these three so much.
Mave was having an attack of the shies when the camera came out but she's the complete opposite the moment it goes away again.
They made me cards on Jong's computer. Yay!So … To Joy and Thom and Jong (and Josiah, Martha and Mave).
You guys are the best.
You know I only pretend to be a sweary old curmudgeon. This afternoon meant a lot to me.
Thank you and huge hugs all round.
18 comments:
What great friends you have! It looks like a lovely treat—I assume the Christmas tree this early didn't give you hives.
I really am blessed with wonderful friends, Robyn.
Filipinos go crazy for Christmas. Joy and Thom are going to have a ball over in Manila in a few weeks time.
My own house is a Christmas-free zone, but at Jong's house, with the kids there, it is lovely to see.
That is indeed very sweet, Dive. How kind of them all to surprise you in such a wonderful way. A birthday to remember after all then!
Children on your blog good grief and don't they look lovely. More surprising, that you love them? Good heavens, they have found a soft, child-friendly Dive elusive to the rest of us! I'm so glad.
Fantastic that you all had a good time.
Yes wow that's the first Christmas tree I've seen this year!
That is just SO awesome that your friends had this Birthday lunch for you! I'm sure you were pretty shocked when you realized you'd been suckered into a party in your honor. Looks like big fun was had by all. And what amazing looking food! Any leftovers that you can share??
What's this?! I only had a quick snooze and I missed being the first to comment. Spending hours with Mave - radio, TV and the freaking singing-dancing Christmas tree blaring as well - was exhausting!
Richard's significant other is Dorraine. And you forgot to mention the ginataang langka (jackfruit with coconut milk) :D It was gorgeous, wasn't it?
Oh, I didn't tell you how I met Richard. It was serendipitous, really. I was walking out of Future Radio after pre-recording the show on Thursday and this car stopped. I thought the driver was lost. As I walked past, he went, "Are you Joy?" And that's how I hatched the plan :D Glad you enjoyed it.
How nice is that. You have some pretty amazing friends over there on the Continent. Plus you have all of us Yanks across the pond that also count you as a friend. You have a global following. Glad you enjoyed your day. Enjoy tomorrow too.
How nice that someone sneaked a birthday celebration into your day. I thought since Prince Charles' birthday was so close to yours that he could have sent greetings, but no. I guess Joy should have the crown for the first Christmas tree.
I was happy to see the squid after reading your earlier blog about squid prep.
Happy Birthday again.
Lynn: Yes, it seems birthdays creep up and pound the crap out of even the most unwilling.
Sigh …
Yes, children on my blog! But only Jong's three. All other kids are banned. I have a cattle prod and I'm not afraid to use it.
Katie: I came away with lots of Jong's yummy food but I … er … ate it.
Sorry.
I must confess, "suckered" is a good word. Joy had managed to keep this all a complete secret from me; so much so that I didn't even suspect when we pulled up at Jong's house.
Hee hee, Joy! Spending hours with Mave and the freaking singing-dancing Christmas tree was pure delight.
Ah! That's it: Dorraine. Like someone with a cold trying to say Lorraine.
Lovely girl. I don't know what she did wrong in a past life to have to endure Richard but she seems to be doing him good.
I'm so glad you bumped into him. We have such a lot of catching up to do.
And thank you again, you wonderful mischievous plan-hatcher. I had a marvellous time.
Mark: I do have some pretty amazing friends. Most of them won't come near this blog but those that do are wonderful.
A global following sounds kinda creepy. Quite apart from those nice people at the CIA keeping tabs on my past political activities I'm occasionally startled by people who come up to me at gigs and say things like "We're from Canada. We come every year to hear you play." That totally freaks me out. I want to say. "Get a life, you nutjobs!" Brr … I am so glad I don't gig any more.
Hi, Lupine Lady.
Prince who?
I was happy to see the squid, too. And even happier to eat it, especially as Richard's a vegetarian and my making a fine Salvador Dali moustache out of the tentacles grossed him out. Hee hee.
Thank you for your birthday wishes.
OH WONDERFUL! I was secretly hoping your friends would do something like this. And they know to go straight for your stomach when it comes to b-day love.
Great job Joy and the gang!! You are Dive's little Christmas(and birthday) miracle! sniff :D
Hee hee. They certainly are, Shan.
Thank you.
Now you know you are loved!
I meant a "global following" of friends Dive. lol Did you happen to play gigs in London? My brother-in-law is a fine Brit from London and he worked many years as a booking agent for lots of local bands(mostly rock and roll and rhythum and blues) in the 70's and 80's. I wonder if you might know him? He is a bit older that you so I think the time line fits. His nickname was(is) "Winnie."
What a great bunch of friends you have,dive. I hope my 50th goes as smoothly as yours has.I don't think I'll be posting pics but you never know.
Dear Dive,
I think I speak for all your international cyber buddies when I say that you are affectionately known as “the blogger who doth protest too much”. We know that prickly demeanour of yours is really just a human-proof vest of words, intended to protect you from the lesser – and in some cases nastier – member of our species (of which there are many), and that you are in reality a deeply perspicacious, sensitive, and compassionate person. The classic sad clown, in other words.
As a sad clown myself, I suggest you take this as a compliment. Indeed, I have long contended that only a dyed-in-the-wool misanthropist can be a true lover of humanity, because only he/she can truly envision the vast potential that actual human being are constantly wasting in any number of ways, and for any number of reasons.
Finally, although I am within spitting distance of my own fiftieth birthday (I’m not much good at spitting, so it’s still far away enough for it to remain a somewhat blurry target), I have found that the old adage “misery loves company” has a hidden message: namely, that in friendships formed out of mutual, half-mocking despair at the utter pointlessness of it all, there can emerge a levity and vivacity that might otherwise have remained untapped, dormant, comatose. In short, one can find oneself being magically transformed from a curmudgeonly old codger into the prized member of a small, but eminently sweet and satisfying, society of caring souls.
You are fortunate enough to have such a group of friends, Dive, and you know it - which is why I never worry about you literally becoming the character you play.
Very best wishes,
Lucio
Neetzy: Yes, but I still can't get a date.
Mark: I steered clear of London most of the while. We may have played gigs for your brother-in-law but I would never know; I left all that side of things up to other people; I just like to turn up and play, get paid and go home.
Rich: Your fiftieth will go much better than mine. Fir a start you won't be all grumpy and moany about it like I am.
Do post pics!
Lucio: I'm not so much the sad clown as the miserable bastard. My theme tune is in fact Walter Becker's "This Moody Bastard".
And you're right of course. It is "Dive" who is the sweary, cantankerous old git; I'm actually quite a happy cove but please don't tell anybody.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! And many glad returns of the day...even if you have to be dragged protesting...
Thank you, Maria.
Being dragged protesting is the only way to travel.
Post a Comment