Mac celebrated his 14th Birthday this year at the U.S. Embassy Seafront Compound in Manila with a very multi-national group of friends.  November 21, 1998 was on a Saturday, so he was able to have a party on the actual day of his birthday.  It was the awkward age -- too old for musical chairs and still too shy to ask the girls to dance.  He invited nine boys for an unstructured party at the Embassy Teen Center.  They played ping pong, pool, air hockey, cards, video games, and had a very boisterous basketball game.  Dinner was a pasta buffet at the Club Dining Room. 

(Left to Right)  Sonny (Korean); Mac; and Travis, (Afro-American-Chinese).

Tausi (Bangladeshi); Marcus brought an Indian friend; and Marcus (Malaysian Chinese).

Matthew (Australian): Chris (Philippine-Chinese); and Ron, Travis's older brother.

Maya (Chinese-American); Olive (Singaporean Chinese); and not seen is one all American photographer.

Rich (Irish-Philippine); Dondi (Sri Lankan-Philippine); and Sonny (Korean).

Presents included: computer games, music CDs, a battleship model, and a pellet gun.

Mac's birthday present this year from Mom and Dad was an Italian ping pong table that folds up.  We let Mac use it in our large living room when he finishes his homework.  When he is not using it, he folds it up and wheels it into his bedroom where it takes up most of the remaining space in his room.

Ping pong is a serious sport here in Asia and Mac really likes the game.  He plays often at school.  His skills have improved to the point that nobody in the family can really give him a game.  He is beginning to beat some of the members of the school ping pong team.  We are encouraging him to try out for the team, but he seems to just enjoy playing for fun.