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a spoonful of cake on my third pre-birthday night out

Yes, this may not be a milestone birthday but I thought it would be great to celebrate it nonetheless. And what better way to celebrate it than being constantly surrounded by friends, right? I had a solo birthday night out one year and I can say that it was one of the sadder birthdays for me. Ever. But the worst one was the year I actually forgot that it was my birthday... and someone had to remind me about it.

Anyway...

On Tuesday night, I was looking for people to have dinner with because I didn't want to eat dinner alone during my birthday week. Val called up, saying that I could join them if I hadn't eaten yet. And so I ended up at the tail-end of a three-car convoy from Los Banos to Halaan Restaurant in Calamba. Just like on Val's birthday (which we had spent wake boarding in Nuvali), I felt like Charlize Theron's character in The Italian Job because I was driving in a convoy... except that this trip wasn't at high speed and we weren't using Mini Coopers. 

Al fresco dinner with Val, Sonia, Matty, and Hope.

There was a singer serenading the diners at a high volume which was why I barely heard the discussion and could only catch bits and pieces of what they were discussing on economics and on international football. But I quite enjoyed the food... after all, we got sinigang and baked oysters, two dishes I am very fond of.

And since I might not have the chance to get myself a birthday cake, I got myself a chocolate cake with caramel drippings from Figaro right next door. If only it weren't too sweet, I would've finished it. But it was, so I had to bring it home at eat it little by little.

Good times! :)
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