Happy Birthday Ama!

*Ama means Grandmother in Chinese

Losing my dad has taught me to celebrate everyday as if it were your last and really celebrate and enjoy one’s birthday.

Tomorrow is my grandmother’s birthday and instead of being sad, we celebrated her birthday a day early. If Actors and actresses can celebrate their birthday for one whole month, then I'm sure someone who reached more than seventy years old can celebrate a day in advance. After all, everyone has something to be thankful for each day. Another chance at life, another shot at conquering the world.

We celebrated this momentous event (not everyone has the privilege to live at 70+) at Shangri-La in Times Street corner West Avenue.

We used to go to Shangri-La every weekend when we were young. For us, it was the best Chinese restaurant in Quezon City. Their sweet and sour pork was the best we have ever tasted. My grandfather used hand signals to order because we were patrons of the resto. But over the years, the food did not live up to what it used to be and we simply stopped going there. Last night, we tried to eat there and viola! It tastes like it used to taste before. It brought back old memories of my grandfather and dad back when we were still young.

The place has not changed a bit. The waiters from way back were still there. The décor, still the same, people grew old but the ambiance was still as regal as ever.

For tonight’s celebration, we ordered Cold Cuts, Sweet and Sour

Pork, Yang Chow fried Rice and Hot Pot. (*Hot Pot consists of a simmering metal pot of stock at the center of the dining table. The hot pot is kept simmering, ingredients are placed into the pot and are cooked at the table. Typical dishes include: thinly sliced meat, leaft vegetables, dumplings and seafood.) Our Seafood Hot pot had sotanghon (cellophane noodles), tofu, dumpling, squid balls, crabmeat, squid, scallops, shrimp and leafy vegetables to mention a few.