REPORT: 84 Year-Old Asian Woman Still Getting Carded

‘Back in my day we just wrote our birthday on an index card’

By: Jessica Acosta 

July 19, 2021

San Bruno, CA – Ligaya Adams, 84, received an unexpected birthday gift on Saturday when her server at CJ’s Craft Beerhouse refused to bring her a can of White Claw unless she could produce a valid form of identification.

“It’s our policy here at CJ’s to card anyone who looks under 30,” said Daisy Smith, the server assigned to the Adams table. “I recognized Ms., I mean Mrs. Adams, right away so I was sure I needed to card her. She goes by PNoyLola37 on TikTok. She’s always making videos about her skincare routine and her various herbal remedies that she says keep her healthy. She’s the one who inspired me to get bleached highlights. I had no idea that was her natural hair color, though!”

Adams, born in the Philippines, had immigrated to the Bay Area to work as an OB/GYN nurse for over 40 years. 

Her husband, retired Army Colonel Robert Adams, 89, said she is often mistaken for his caregiver or personal nurse. “Everyone thinks I’ve bagged me a young gold digging trophy wife,” he gleefully cackled while his wife swatted at his arm. “But we can’t order drinks often because she always forgets her ID.”

With her thick black winged eyeliner, small hearts stamped under each eye, oversized Metallica t-shirt, red and black plaid miniskirt, and platform sneakers Mrs. Adams looked like an anime character that had come to life. When asked what her secret to looking so young is, she said, “I don’t even think I look that young. Plenty of women my age back home in the Philippines look like me.” 

Her husband said she never skips leg day and eats a half a pound of bistek everyday, which is thinly sliced beef braised in calamansi juice, soy sauce and onions. “That would literally kill anyone else at any age, but I guess that’s her fountain of youth,” he said. “That and slathering herself with Vicks VapoRub before she goes to bed every night.”

As for being denied a drink this time, Mrs. Adams said, “It’s ok. We gotta get home soon anyway. I stream Warzone on Twitch at 8pm every Wednesday. Since I’m gonna be yelling a lot, I need to brew a fresh batch of salabat, and it’ll take me a while to prep and boil all that ginger.”