Celebrating dad's birthday here in Bangkok back in 2009.
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Today is dad's birthday! So I'm dedicating this post to my first love, my daddykins. Here are some things you didn't know (or may not know) about my dad:
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#1 Nothing makes dad happier than being with his children + grandchild. One of our favorite memories as a family was when we traveled to Hongkong and Macau back in 2009.
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Macau
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Hongkong
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But the trips need not be abroad. Even a simple trip to the mall or supermarket creates happy memories. Sometimes we don't even need to leave the house.
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Our annual new year's eve party in Tagaytay is always super fun!
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#2 Even if he's surrounded by many women...
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Dad in Las Vegas.
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...he has eyes only for mom, the "Aple of his eyes". Heehee!
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#3 Dad is great already as a father -- there is nothing more that my siblings and I could ask for. You can just imagine how he is as a grandfather. Aly adores her lolo Bernie like anything! Whenever Aly would come home, lolo Bernie makes sure that they have enough of his one and only grand daughter's favorite food at home: cheese, hotdog, Chuckie, Yakult...if Aly says she wants Jollibee, dad would drop whatever he's doing and drive his grand daughter to the nearest Jollibee. He is just awesome!
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Wat Phra Kaew
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Aly's birthday gift for lolo.
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Carrying Aly even if he has a bad back.
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Holding hands in Macau.
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Singing for lolo on his birthday. Look at the admiration on my dad's face.
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Sports-themed Christmas party. He bought Aly a different colored headband because she didn't like gray -- even if the entire family was wearing gray.
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Sitting next to lolo on the tour bus in Hongkong. Note that she's not sitting with her dad.
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The things that he'd do to make his unica apo laugh (not too successful here!).
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Hongkong Disney
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#4 Dad has fierce haggling skills! Expert talaga pag dating sa tawaran. Minsan lumalayo na kami kasi nakakahiya na yung laki na tawad nya -- hindi lang 50% ang tawad! Mga 60-70% pa. Kulang na lang talaga umiyak yung tindera. But believe it or not, he wins the haggling war most of the time. That's something that I really want to learn from dad :)
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#5 Dad is not just the perfect father, he is the perfect husband as well. Just look at how he spoils mom.
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With designer bags:
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Louis Vuitton
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Burberry and Ferragamo
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Nth honeymoons:
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Shanghai
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New York
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San Francisco
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Universal Studios
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And that's the way to treat a wife! (Note to self: make sure the hubby reads this post. Haha!)
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#6 Dad always keeps a bag of his favorite chips at home.
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It has to be cheddar and sour cream. Hindi nya pinapansin yung iba.
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#7 Dad is a fashionista. He's a bit of a bagets dresser too. Heehee!
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Rockin the statement tee in an apple orchard somewhere in New Jersey.
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In a Calvin Klein jacket on the streets of NYC.
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In another Calvin Klein jacket and a Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene Brooklyn bag in Niagara Falls.
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#8 He has a huge collection of Lacoste shirts. I don't know exactly how many, but I know that can wear one everyday for two months without repeating.
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A fraction of his collection.
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My favorite: his limited edition Campanas x Lacoste.
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#9 Daddy has a smile that can light up the entire room. Whenever he cracks a joke, my sister Angel and I laugh the loudest. We're his biggest fans!
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Happy daddy and his great, big smile!
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#10 My dad is super tipid and super maingat with his things. Like his phone can be 2-3 years old and not have a single scratch on it. And if he thinks that a certain item is still usable, he will not throw it away even if it's really old. I remember one time I was de-cluttering the house and I found this plastic container that wasn't being used anymore so I threw it away. Later that afternoon, the container found its way back into the house again. Apparently, dad found it in the trash and brought it back inside kasi daw pwede pa naman gamitin. Classic daddy! But I guess that kind of attitude is what led him to where he is now.
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#11 Dad jogs every morning. He's a bit of a fitness buff (hindi ko na naman namana ito). Even if he's on a holiday, he doesn't skip his morning exercise. When he's here in Bangkok, he'd wake up at 5:30am and go around the block. His commitment is admirable. I think that's his secret for looking and feeling young!
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#12 Another one of dad's morning rituals: magwalis ng bahay. Even if he has a helper at home, sya pa din ang nagwawalis. He also has these special tweezers that he uses to pick up the smallest bits of dirt on the floor -- like a strand of hair or a tiny, tiny piece of paper so small that other people won't normally see. He's OC like that -- eto, namana ko na talaga to sa kanya. Haha!
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To dad, happy birthday again! I hope, no, I know you will have a great one. I feel bad that we're not there to celebrate with you but you'll be here in a few weeks so we'll celebrate again. I pray that the Lord will bless you with good health, more blessings to share with others and many more years to come so we can make more memories together. Thanks for being a great dad to us and lolo to Aly.
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With dad on my wedding day. When this photo was taken, the room suddenly fell silent. Tears were starting to well up in my eyes. It was my moment with dad.
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We love you, dad!
