A Birthday to Remember

Hello there, wholesome reader!

It's been a while, I know. I really got caught up with some personal and work matters, hence the reason I've been MIA here. I won't promise anything but hey, I'm still here, alive and thriving! 😉

Just a little catching up with you, life has been a little bit crazy but I've managed to survive, somehow. I felt the need to stay away from the internet and breathe some "offline" air, if that makes sense.

Anyway, you all know from my previous post that I recently celebrated my 25th birthday. Although I have already had a separate post of my thoughts and life realizations, I haven't told you yet how my 25th year celebration instantly became one to remember!

So here, allow me to look a few weeks back and share with you the bliss I experienced during my special day.

Celebrating My Birthday with My Family

As a person who grew up with strong family ties, any special event in life is always celebrated with the family! In this post, I'm glad to share to you how my birthday went with the dearest people in my life.

Aside from turning 25, my 2nd of June was jampacked with a lot of surprises. After I attended a thanksgiving mass in the morning and arrived home, my brother handed me a bouquet of roses with a little note that came with it. I instantly knew that it was my mother's initiative to give me flowers on my birthday as she has always been the thoughtful one.

Later that day, my sister (after denying that she has nothing to give me) surprised me with my dream cake, the one that was similar to that from Taylor Swift's music video. In case you didn't know yet, I am a very huge fan of her music!

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I usually have a hunch with surprises but on that day, I was honestly clueless. Not expecting anything on my special day might also have helped.

As a way of thanksgiving to my family, I decided to treat them out to dinner. As suggested by a friend, we tried out the new restaurant, Parola Seaview Restaurant located at Cordova, Lapu-Lapu.

Just a little information, Lapu-Lapu is a separate island from Cebu. Previously, there were two bridges that connect the island and mainland Cebu. Just recently, a new bridge was constructed and officially opened to the public that runs from South Road Properties in the mainland to Cordova, a town in Lapu Lapu. The bridge, named Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX), is now the longest bridge in the Philippines with its 8.5km stretch. It was also our first time to pass through the bridge.

Parola Seaview Restaurant

Situated near the shipping port of Cordova, Parola Seaview Restaurant is an al fresco dining place with a beautiful view, especially at sunset and night-time.

The restaurant has its menu displayed right at the entrance for customers to quickly scan through as they step in the place. They serve scrumptious Filipino dishes at an affordable price. Food choices range from a la carte meals for individual consumption to a list of platters for sharing.

The restaurant is very spacious and can accommodate large groups. You can choose to sit on their wooden chairs or enjoy your meals on their large couches. As for us, we were seated on the couch since it is more convenient for my two little nephews.

Beside the restaurant, they have a mini boardwalk. Here, you can enjoy the view of the vast ocean. Since we went there during night-time, we enjoyed looking at the city lights from afar.

Overall, our dining experience at the restaurant was one to remember, with the breeze from the sea just beside the place that gave us the chance to relax and just unwind.

But wait, there's more!

A few days after my birthday, a friend asked me to eat dinner with her. I honestly didn't find it suspicious, as she is a very dear friend to me and random catching up has become a normal activity for us.

Just when I thought I've already had enough of my birthday surprises, here came another one! It was the Saturday after my birthday when one of my closest friend, Janie, invited me to dinner.

Fast forward to dinner, Janie and I met at around 5:00PM and went together to the restaurant. We both agreed to eat at Tamp Café, which is located at Cebu City. By this time, I have not figured out yet that this was a surprise.

Upon entering the restaurant, we were seated at a table good for two. Janie, then, went to the counter and asked the staff something I don't know. I really did not pay attention to it as I was thinking maybe she just wanted to move to another table. I really thought this was just one of our regular meetups.

But the funny thing was, when she went back to our table, she spilled that she asked the staff if we could transfer to a bigger table since one of our close friends, Jasmine, will also be joining us and that this was their birthday surprise to me. She could've just waited for Jasmine to arrive and surprise me but she's not good with surprises, really! Haha, typical Janie.

Tamp Café

I have seen a few friends post on their IG stories about this café but I have not really tried eating here and so far, I have not planned on trying, too. Mainly because sometimes, as an introvert, new food places intimidate me especially those that are usually crowded. But I am very glad to be able to try something new with two of my bestest friends!

Tamp, with its modern interior, is located along Kasambagan, Cebu City. I admit that I loved its interior, just right for my kind of aesthetic.

I am also surprised with the variety of food this place serves: soups, main courses, sandwiches, brewed drinks, frappes, other beverages, cakes and pastries. The price range is, for me, reasonable, considering the size of their serving and the overall vibes it gives to the customers.

My 25th birthday was indeed a celebration of life and love with the most important people in my life. It gave me the opportunity to express my gratitude and appreciation to everyone who makes life very worthwhile.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read about my very special day!

I'll take delight in writing for you again soon. See you around!

Love,
Sam ♡

_{All photos in this post are owned by me, unless stated otherwise.}

_{Hello, in case you have not read my intro post, my name is Samantha. You may call me Sam for short. I am from Cebu, a beautiful island in the Philippines. I created this space in an attempt to put all the good things in one place, thus, my blog name @wholesamdiaries.}

_{If you wish to show appreciation; an upvote, comment, reblog and/or follow is the way! Thank you once again and see you around! ♡}