Mission Complete

The crazy things I do for my siblings...this is one of them.

Ever since we learned that my older sister liked a specific kind of cake for her birthday, I try my best to save up and buy her a custom made cake from Goldilocks every year. And every year since it all began, I try to make the cake unique each and every time by changing the dedication written on the cake. There's the usual "Happy Birthday 'Te!", "Happy Birthday Ate from Us!" and so on. Last year, it was "Sheng Ri Kuai Le, Jie Jie!". This year, I took it up a notch and tried something different for a change. This is where my adventure began. I called it Operation: Birthday Cake.

While thinking of what dedication to write for ate's cake, I remembered the message that was written on her cake the year before. So, I actually thought of doing it again but this time instead of greeting her, I'll be greeting someone else who has the same birthday as her. But then, it would just be like an ordinary birthday cake and it would end up not for my sister. So, I starting thinking of something else to do but told myself that if all else failed, I'll revert back to the greeting-another-person-on-her-cake plan.

On my way to work, I remembered going to a party where the cake had a picture of the celebrant. Then, it hit me. I'll give ate a picture cake for her birthday as well. But instead of her picture, I'll put a picture of ate's idol, Calvin Chen (Chen Yi Ru). That's when Operation: Birthday Cake began.

That same day on my way home, I stopped by the bakeshop and asked how much and the process of how they will be making the cake. When the clerk found out the date when I needed the cake she told me that I need to give a picture now so that it would be ready on October 10.

That gave a small dilemma for me since the picture that I wanted wasn't with me at the time, but I did have another picture of Calvin that I was thinking as a second choice. So, I hurriedly went to a camera shop to have the a digital photo printed. It turned out that the minimum picture that they could print out in digital format was 6 pcs. It was already 8pm and the mall closes at 9 so thinking that I won't make it if I went home, have the picture printed there and then go back to the bakeshop, I thought, 'what the heck, have them print out six copies of the same picture!'

I told the sales lady this and she smiled and commented, "'di ka naman obsessed?"(you're not obsessed, are you?). I just smiled and answered, "wala akong choice. Isa lang naman talaga kailangan ko eh." (I really only needed one, but I have no choice.)

So, armed with the 4R version of the Calvin's pic, I hurriedly went back to the bake shop and placed my order.

When I got there, I gave the clerk the picture and she looked at it and asked, "sino 'to?" (Who's this?)

I smiled and answered, "boyfriend ng ate ko!" (My older sister's boyfriend!)

So, she began to get some information on the type of cake and some other details when I saw that she had put "boy" on the information sheet, indicating that the cake was for a boy. I hurriedly said that it's not for a boy but for a girl. "Ate ko po yung may birthday, hindi boyfriend nya," (My sister's the one having the birthday, not her boyfriend) I explained.

Then I started to add some details when she made a comment that she thought it was for the boyfriend, "tumawag kasi sa akin si Kuya Arthur na bilhan ko raw ng cake si ate. So, naisip ko na picture na lang ni Kuya ilagay ko para kunwari sya yung nag-gi-greet." (Kuya Arthur called me and asked me to buy the cake. I thought of putting his picture in the cake to make it look like he's the one that's greeting her.) I got the name Arthur from one of the characters that Calvin portrayed in a drama. The guy's name in the drama was Wang Ya Se (english translation is Arthur King).

Anyway, the clerk who was taking my order smiled and said, "Swerte naman ng ate mo." (You're sister's really lucky.) I just smiled as I got my invoice and paid for the cake.

When I got home, I hid the receipt and the pictures to hide the evidence until the day I would pick up the cake. The wait was really unnerving since was thinking of different scenarios of my sister's reaction about her cake.

Anyway, the day came and I went back to the bakeshop to pick up the cake.

When I gave my receipt the releasing area, I immediate saw the cake because the picture of Calvin was taped there. When the clerk handed me the cake he asked me, "Sino to?" (Who's this guy?) I repeated my claim that the guy in the picture was my sister's boyfriend.

He then replied, "Akala ko yung lalaki sa Boys Over Flowers." (I thought he was one of the guys from Boys Over Flowers.) Thinking that he was one of the actors who was part of the Korean remake of the Japanese manga "Hanayori Dango".

Then he proceeded to ask, "Koreano?" (Is he Korean?)

I answered, "No, he's Taiwanese."

"Sya yung may birthday?" (He's the one with the birthday?)

"No," I answered. "Ate ko. Wala kasi si Kuya Arthur dito ngayon, may work sa labas. So nagpasabi na lang sya na bilhan ko ng cake si ate. Pinalagyan ko ng picture para kunwari sya yung nag gi-greet." (No, it's my sister's. Kuya Arthur isn't in the country, he's at work outside. So he just told me to buy my sister a cake. I had his picture placed there to make it look like he was the one greeting her.)

Then I added, "Lagi syang nasa Taiwan kasi. Minsan lang umuuwi dito. Dun sila ni Ate nagkita sa Taiwan eh." (He's usually in Taiwan. He seldom comes here. He and my sister met there in Taiwan.)

He gave the same comment that my sister was lucky. I smiled and then went home.

Operation: Birthday Cake was coming to it's final phase.

When I got home, I showed it to my sister. And the smile on her face was really rewarding.

So, Operation: Birthday Cake was a complete success. My sister was really happy with her cake and I got to use my story telling abilities to come up with something crazy like that. I guess my muse is back. :)

Mission Complete. End mission log. :D (Pictures of the cake were posted here).