My Cousin's 18th Birthday

An 18th birthday is a memorable day marking big changes in life. In various countries, turning eighteen symbolizes the transition of one's journey from youth to adulthood. It is the time to mature and start being more responsible.

My cousin Lieserl just turned eighteen last May 4, 2018. It was a sunny day that time here in Iligan City. But as soon as the birthday program was about to start, it rained heavily. The venue was an open space, so the chairs and tables were drenched and some decorations were swept away because of the strong winds. The guests were also cold but in spite of the stormy weather, we still had a fun and joyful event. By the way, the theme of the birthday party was "floral". 🌸

Of course, in a traditional 18th birthday, "18s" are a must. It has been a tradition for debut parties for years. 18 roses and 18 candles symbolizes the 18 men and women, respectively, close to her heart who have made impact in her life.

These are 10 of the 18 roses. 🌹
^{From left to right: Kint, Micole, Maryell, Jupit, Lieserl's classmate, Lieserl (Debutante), Idoy, Owen, Lester, Jay jay, Lieserl's classmate}

These are 9 of the 18 candles. 🕯️
^{From left to right (at the same time top to bottom): Jonah, Julienne, Me, Bethel, Yeyeng, Jupit (not one of the 18 candles of course), Gera, Ludah, Jhana, TJ}

Tatay Lud (her direct grandfather) was her last dance. You can see in the photo the genuine love of a grandfather to a granddaughter and a granddaughter to a grandfather. 💖
^{Tatay Lud is my grandmother's brother-in-law. I love him and his bubbly and adorable personality.}

Photos of ate yeyeng and ate jhana as they send their heartfelt messages and wishes to the debutante.
^{I don't have a photo of myself giving my message LOL.}

After the 18 roses and 18 candles, finally it's dinner time! 🍽️

The one wearing a gray polo is my brother and the others are my cousins.
^{It's always better eating with your bare hands.}

The ones on the left side are my cousins Julienne and Lieserl (Debutante) and the others are their classmates.
^{By the way, Julienne and Liserl are classmates.}

After dinner, my cousins and aunts went to the stage to dance their hearts out. They danced to the song Bboom bboom by a K-pop girl group Momoland and Budots, a famous electronic dance music which originated in Davao City. They've always been this lively and outgoing since we were kids.