Billy's Birthday Bash!

One time… my birthday fell on a Friday, and I decided to make it a weekend birthday celebration! I took my birthday off from work so that I could spend the day pampering myself.

Friday morning (May 1st- My Bday) started off with millions of messages on Facebook wishing me Happy Birthday, and millions of phone calls. My favorite call of the morning was from my friend Harsha who is currently in India. Calling all the way from India made me feel Special.


My Favorite message on Facebook was from my friend Shinji who recognized that I had changed my profile picture to one of me blowing out the candle on a Mont Blanc Cake (Japanese Cake).

11 AM, first stop: DnB Hair Colour Group on 23rd Street. When I first moved to NYC back in 2004, I asked Kirk (my roommate) where I could go to get my hair cut. “DnB Hair Colour Group on 23rd and 7th” he said. “They are fierce and they know how to cut Asian Hair like yours". I have very straight wiry hair. I have had stylist complain that they have gotten splinters in their hands from my hair. When I got to 23rd and 7th, I couldn’t remember the name of the place. There were no salons on the corner of 23rd and 7th.

I looked up and saw a sign: International Salon. That must be it I thought to myself. The International Hair Salon must be what Kirk was talking about since only a place like that would know how to cut Asian hair. I rang the doorbell and they buzzed me up.

As soon as I got to the second floor and into the Salon, I realized that this was not the right place. 3 Black Drag Queens (one weaving a girl’s hair) greeted me. “You need a haircut honey?” one of them said.

There was no way I could respond with “just looking”, so I said yes and sat down. She/he did a good job, and Kirk later explained that DnB Hair Colour Group was not on the corner but just off the corner of 7th Avenue. About a month later I went back to DnB where Vivian, this fierce Asian girl, cut my hair exactly as it should be. I have been going to her ever since.

On my birthday, I figured I’d drop in and make an appointment for the next day. As soon as I walked in Vivian said “I can take you now”.

The shampoo girl washed my hair gave me a quick head/shoulder/neck massage and Vivian went to work giving me a really short summer haircut. I loved it!

Then it was off to the Chelsea Pier Day Spa where I met Herbelicious.
I was there to get a one hour facial using a gift card that I had. The Spa is part of a huge sports complex/gym and a purchase at the Day Spa entitles you to use the facilities for the rest of the day. The Spa provided Herbelicious and me luxurious terry cloth robes.
We enjoyed a few minutes in the steam room and sauna, and a nice shower before Yuli, my therapist, saw me. Upon meeting me she asked “Are you Filipino?”

“Yes!” I replied.

“Good, I am Indonesian, so I know your skin type”. She examined my skin and determined that I SHOULD have normal to oily skin but had normal to dry skin because the products I use were clogging up my pores. She informed me she would do a Glycolic Acid Peel to provide exfoliation and cell renewal. She told me that this would unclog my pores. She massaged my face with cleansers and steam, covered my eyes with moist cool towelettes, and covered my face with hot and cold towels.
I was in heaven practically falling asleep to the calm classical music being piped into my semi dark room. She followed up with the peel, a facial, and a shoulder and neck massage. She then started to perform extractions of my white and blackheads. She followed that with another cleansing and a mask. I’m not sure what the mask was, I had my eyes closed the whole time. It felt like she covered my face with cheesecloth, and then started to use what smelled and felt like paper mache paste. She finished up with moisturizer and sun protection. It was an enjoyable experience.

When the hour was over, she advised me to change the facial soap I was using as it was too harsh and to start using Cetaphil.
She also told me that in the fall I might want to opt for microdermabrasion to help with the scarring from my teenage years.

After getting dressed, Herbelicious and I decided to head to the Chelsea Market for lunch. On our way there, we stumbled upon an open warehouse where there appeared to be an art exhibit.

We weren’t sure if we were allowed to walk in, or if there was another entrance to this “museum”, or maybe this was actually the exit.

Herbelicious and I slipped in. We looked at the interesting exhibits of chickens nailed to the walls, cardboard furniture, famous Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao (I’m Filipino!), Neon signs etc. It was kind of fun, (and free?), and I felt like Ferris Bueller away from school for the day. Off to Chelsea Market.

I first heard of the Chelsea Market from watching the Food Network years before I moved to New York City.
I especially wanted to go to this place there that served several types of pot pies.
Herbelicious and I couldn’t find the place, but we settled on a cute café called the Green Table.
I ordered the Pot pie (which was amazing), and Herberlicious ordered their signature burger that had bacon and kimchee in it! In the middle of lunch I received a phone call from my friend Patrick in Chicago.


“William, its Patrick. Some people want to say something to you”.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” I heard a group of kids singing. It was Patrick’s class. Patrick is an elementary school teacher. That was so Sweet!



A quick run home to the Bronx to change and it was back to the city to meet my friend Tommy to watch a live taping of The Big Gay Sketch Show (that airs on LOGO).
The show is like Saturday Night Live --but with sketches pertaining to gay people. My good friend Joe (Tommy's Boyfriend who couldn't make it) knows that I like the show, and was able to secure me tickets to see the live taping. We sat in the front row!

My favorite character on the show is that of a little British boy named Fitzwilliam, who wants nothing more than to be a little girl and have a vagina. He has a horse that he calls a unicorn “whose mother (the horse that is) abandoned him when he was 4 because she is an alcoholic”.

I was hoping to see a new sketch of Fitzwilliam. And guess what? I got my Birthday Wish! This time the horse err... Unicorn was slitting his arms and legs because he will never be as thin as the models in all the high fashion magazines. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to say this before the show airs, but Fitzwilliam will also finally be getting his wish—a Beverly Hills vagina! We couldn’t take pictures during the taping, and in all the pictures I did take, I realized my face was so oily and shiny (because of the facial?).



Another quick bite after the show at this great place called B-Bop on 54th and 9th and then it was home for a quick shower (to wash my greasy face) and off to No Parking for Strippers and a performance by the gypsy woman herself Crystal Waters-- ladadi ladida!

All day Saturday I did absolutely nothing! But I knew that my birthday celebration was going to continue as Herbelicious had plans for me.

It started off with an 8:30 PM dinner at Ippudo (the great ramen noodle shop I blogged previously about).

Many of my good friends were there: Ivan, Alana, Herberlicious, Michelle, and Johnny.
Ivan entertained us with his high fashion modeling poses, as Alana tried to compete but could only do sexy poses—borderline porn!

Alana surprised me with a birthday cake from the Philippines! a Pianomo Roll!

And then it was off to the bar URGE for more strippers and where to my surprise most of my friends were! It was a night of drinking and catching up with all of them. I was trashed with all the free birthday drinks!










We ended the night at Splash dancing, where Herbelicious, Michelle, and Ivan retrieved my valuables from me (after the last black-out incident at Splash they wanted me to be safe) and headed home. I stayed back since I had the attention of 3 suitors.
Let’s just say that I went home with 2 of them, where we made manwiches and enjoyed brunch the next morning watching the Harry Potter Movie. What a great Birthday Weekend, the BEST EVER! Thanks Everybody! (especially Herbelicious, Alana, Michelle, Brian & Eduardo).

For Real, Seriously.