Happy Birthday

July is almost coming to an end.  I've been meaning to post a birthday entry but can't seem to find the time  - I have to take on most of Ipeng's house hold tasks; am now doing both JICA and USAID-funded projects at the office and so on.... Lot's of excuses to put off this birthday blog entry.  To make things easier for me, I decided to post all the SMS birthday greetings I got (also mo make room for other incoming messages) - here they are:
Gracie:  Monet, lapit na birthday mo.  Advance, hbd na.  Baka malimutan ko.  Watch tayo Mama Mia!  Sa Sunday birthday mo diba?  Watch tayo.  Hanggang ngayon, di ko pa rin napapanood, almost contacted her for dinner last July 23 when I was in Makati for the USAID workshop on Corruption Prevention - kaya lang tinamad ako....
Tito Richard:  Happy Bday po mam c richard po i2.  so san po gimik mo nyan?  enjoy d rest of d day ok gandang umaga po.  So nk simba knb nyan ha ning binati knb ni dona h? Ang galang dito ni tito richard!  Hmmmm.... notice he called me ma'am sa first text, yung mga sumunod I'm back to Nining....
Nova:  Happy birthday! :)  Parang standard birthday greeting ko ito sa lahat, except this one may smiley after the exclamation point.  di ba maganda? 
Melissa:  Happy birthday girl!  Anong activities mo today? I can't remember how I answered this - pero definitely na celebrate na namin ang birthday ko with matching meeting with her mom and dad - genki family ito talaga - lot's and lot's of gulay sa diet....
Raul:  Happy birthday Monet!  Have fun on ur special day U -
Aileen:  Happy birthday martina! U - Para ring kay Nova at sa akin!
Janet:  Hi martina.  happy birthday! musta na? san k clebrate ng bday m0? wish u gud health, love n happiness in lyf. God bless!mwah. - May presento pa ako from her, ha.
Monettee:  I WISH YOU   perfect health, lots of care, love that never ends, peace of mind and all d wondrful things in LIFE. Hapi bday!
Gracie (again):  Hi monet, happy birthday.  I wish you more blessings and good health. Have a great day!
Juliet:  Happy birthday ate monet - juliet
Lea:  Hoy happy birthday!  San kainan?
Lea:  Happy birthday din daw sbi ni xenia!
Tita Romie:  HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY nkkgrit na rin c tita gerrie
Janie:  The FOUR BLESSED LOOKS:  - Look back & THANK GOD. - Look forward& TRUST GOD. - Look aound & SERVE GOD. - Look for within & FIND GOD.  Maligayang kaarawan ninang monet!
I got birthday cards from Ma'am Zen, Mama Nima, Tita Gay, Juliet and from the TMD staff; birthday hug from Tita Zen; a BHB e-mail from Roseller, another e-mail greetings from Ma'am Zen and a PM from Marge.  Will try to post them. 
Birthday card greetings ---
Juliet:  Ate Monet... Thanks for the gift of you.  May your birthday be as special as you are. stay blessed.  Salamat sa lahat-lahat... salamat sa pagiging matulungin, matyaga at mapagpacensya, mapagbigay, maintindihin, mapagparaya, mabait at palakaibigang bossing (sana lahat ng boss ay kagaya mo para magaan at masaya lagi ang pagtatrabaho).  Muli maligayang kaarawan - ha! mabait daw ako sabi ni juliet.  anyways, kung hindi ako mabait para sa kanya - malamang di na lang ako nito sulatan, ok na ang bati....
Ma'am Zen and family: To our dearest Monet, Happy birthday!  May God bless you with his gifts of good health, good love, lots of friends and happiness.  Enjoy your day! Love, Zen, Nelson, kalel & Kyra
Tita Gay:  Dearest Monet, May our Mother of Perpetual Help Guide and Protect You Today and Always.  Wish you love and happiness, Love, Tita Gay
Mama Nima:  Celebrating your with joy Have a wonderful year Happy birthday!  

Now, it's Miyazaki's turn

His last anime, Hauro no Ugoku Shiro, was released in 2004 (a year before I arrived in Japan).  His current anime, Gake no ue no Ponyo, is currently showing - almost a year after I left Japan.  Another  Japanese movie event that made me wished I'm back in Kobe.....  

Agence France-Presse - 7/19/2008 5:01 AM GMT

Animator Miyazaki's new film hits screens in Japan

Hayao Miyazaki's first full-length film in four years hit screens across Japan on Saturday, putting aside speculation that the Oscar-winning Japanese animator had made his last picture.
A 650-seat movie theatre at Tokyo's shopping and business district of Hibiya was filled with his fans, mostly children and their parents, to watch "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea," which the reclusive 67-year-old wrote and directed.
Inspired by the 19th-century fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, the story centres around a tiny fish-girl, Ponyo, who rides a jellyfish to escape her home in the sea.
She meets a five-year-old boy, Sosuke, who vows to protect her, but Ponyo is taken back to the sea. Desperate to be a human and live with Sosuke, Ponyo heads to land again with help from her sisters.
Miyazaki is one of Japan's biggest cultural exports. His last film, "Howl's Moving Castle," broke opening box office records at home in 2004 before winning a cult following in Western and Asian nations.
Miyazaki has said repeatedly in the past that he wants to retire.
The 2004 release of "Howl's Moving Castle" was met by speculation that it would be his last film, raising concerns in Japan for the future of the lucrative animation industry.
But "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea" has dampened such concern.
Miyazaki, who had used computer graphics since "Princess Mononoke" in 1997, decided to shun hi-tech effects in his latest picture.
Miyazaki's second to last film, "Spirited Away," won the Academy Award in 2003 for best animated feature, Japan's first Oscar for a full-length work in nearly half a century.