Mmmbop

My birthday is almost here!

Some of my friends at the office are asking me what plans I have for my birthday, and I’m always embarrassed when I answer I don’t know. With reluctance I admit that I never really had a fantastic birthday ever. There was one time when my highschool friends sneaked me out for a supposed weekend project for school, only to find out that they had planned a little celebration in my friend’s bedroom. We had some homemade chocolate cake, and a handwritten birthday sign on red japanese paper was taped to the wall. That was pretty much it, but it was probably the most sincere greeting I ever received!

When I was in college, a friend treated me out to watch a ballet performance, but she was with her boyfriend and I felt like I’m a third wheel the whole time, so. A highlight of that night though: all of the male ballet dancers dropped their pants in the finale, so there you go, a dozen penises, happy birthday to me. Birthdays with my ex-boyfriend don’t really count, too, because what else can we do but have sex dinner out somewhere romantic? I swear, it’s overrated. Harhar.

Maybe I’m this way because growing up, my birthday is not exactly an event to celebrate in my family. For one thing, my younger sister and I have got the same birthday, so I don’t exactly feel special. I can’t even go prancing around the house and say, “It’s my birthday, it’s my birthday!” because they’ll just tell me that I’m not the only one. Another thing, since my father has his own business, and my birthday falls on the fifteenth, it is, of course, pay day. So all his money is spent handing out salaries, that at the end of the day he doesn’t feel like spending any more, especially on me. Further evidence that it’s absurd where I live? I got my eighteenth birthday present when I was twenty years old. Yeah.

So when “the special day” comes around, I’m not really expecting anything. Although I have plans of trying to enjoy it. Maybe I’ll buy something for myself. Which is why there is no more need for an introduction of what’s to come next:

Some things from the history of the world that I wish I could bring back (well some of them are still here), because it’s an integral part of my life (or, My Birthday Wish List, if I may)

1. Mixtapes

(photo taken from here)

Back in high school I had a mixtape for all sort of moods and tiny events in my life. Off the top of my head, here are some of the themes I could remember:
- I Hate Physics But I Have to Study the Damn Thing
- You Say You Got a Boyfriend But I Bet He’s Just on Cyberspace, Bitch
- My Best Friend Had A Nervous Breakdown
- I Study in A Private Catholic School for Girls
- Today I Bought My First Porn
- This Mix is Perfect if I Also Had the Car to Go With It
- The Breakup (of course)
among many other things. I swear, it’s the quintessential companion. The only thing that was missing is a car, but in a third-world country, you know it’s impossible to even have an old, beat-down road machine at the age of sixteen. It’s just unheard of. So I settle for lying in my bed, with the lights off, alone in my room, popping cassettes one after the other.

2. Vinyl records (preferably jazz records)

(photo taken from here)

My turntable is actually broken and I can’t find a shop here who can replace the needle. It’s one of my goals this year to actually buy something like this, so I’m crossing my fingers.

3. Polaroid Type600 film

(photo taken from here)

In light of the recent devastating news that Polaroid is shutting down their production of integral film and have decided to go digital, I am now very determined to hoard as much film as I can.

4. Black and white film

(photo taken from here)

Yes! I’m spreading Ilford love.

5. Colored pens

(photo taken from here)

I need a new set. I’ve used and abused my current pens with abandon, and it won’t be long before they quit on me. I like Staedtler’s pens because they’re quite fun to write and doodle with. I actually find that I use a certain color depending on my mood. YAY!

6. Notebooks/Journals

They must be plain, unruled, with hard covers — okay, if I must be specific, Moleskines. This is how one of my journals look like. You can find more here.

7. Old shoeboxes chock-full of random things

(photo taken from here)

Okay, The Weird Girl award goes to me. My ‘memory’ shoebox at home looks way ghetto than this one. If I remember correctly, it’s from one of my old PE shoes with an obscure brand (Advan). It was so old that I have covered it in a glossy newspaper print. Inside you’ll find old letters, random buttons, a condom enclosed in a glass with the print, ‘Break in Case of Emergency’ — an old prank from a friend, specks of glitter, star confetti, old IDs, coasters stolen from random pubs and restaurants, friendship rings, and a lot more. I have a habit of collecting random stuff, what.

8. Stickers

(photo taken from here)

I used to have a sticker collection. I don’t know why I threw them away. I want them back.

9. Postcards

(photo taken from here)

I DON’T WANT postcards of national heroes, which is what you will find in a bookstore here in Manila. Not exactly what you are looking for if you want to write to a friend. Hello, how are you doing, this is Jose Rizal to inspire you in your day-to-day life. Not.

10. Other weird stuff like library cards, bits and pieces of paper, bus tickets, ripped concert tickets

(photo taken from here)

Yeah I kinda miss those. It’s basically trash to you though. I know.

11. Stationery

(photo taken from here)

Stuff to stick in my journal! Have you seen my journal? It’s like Chinatown on acid.

12. Wax seal

(photos taken from here)

I’m in a letter-writing mode and if you want I’ll mail you one! Wouldn’t it be fabulous if it has my stamp on it? You’re free to keep it as a souvenir when I become famous (HAHA!) someday.

13. Lighter

(photos taken from here)

I soooooo want a metal lighter. This is the only instance that I have allowed myself to want something that would make me look hip. Because something like this? Is hip. And I’ve never been hip, and I never want to be, except when I’m killing my lungs. Might as well do it in style, yes?

14. Vintage + Crafts + What-have-you
Anything and everything vintage, campy or kitschy, whatever. I like it. I suspect somewhere I have a secret personality disorder, and at times I maybe somehow manipulated by Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minelli, Linda Rondstandt and Diana Ross. So my friends, forgive me. HORNNNNN!

I like stuff like these:

Vintage wallpapers

(taken from here)

Decorated tableware

(taken from here)

Pop art (not too much though, something that still reflects my personality)

(taken from here)

Pins and buttons

(taken from here)

15. Books

16. Dinner out somewhere nice with friends where we can camwhore and talk all night

17. A dress!

18. Baubles, bangles and beads, err dangling earrings!

19. A road trip

20. A Flickr Pro account

21.

22.

Two more to be filled out when I think of something else! If I am to buy these for myself, I need money. And right now I can’t really do that since I have resigned from my job (OH YES DIDN’T I TELL YOU? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA)