Transition
Last year's birthday was pathetic I think (sadly). No lovely, romantic dinner. No grand celebration except rushing back from client's place to have a subtle lunch with pizzas. I don't know what's wrong. People all seemed quiet in my presence, unlike the rowdy scene when others were having their birthday. Well, at least at night my granny and cousin celebrated. Oh, and there were alot of cakes.
I reckon there's no hybrid in life. You couldn't have better things without having lose another. Likewise for this year, there were more people spending my special day with me, more presents but less cake and no birthday wish. Haha. Why? You see, my colleagues celebrated my birthday at Glasshouse Fish and Co. Their custom was to have the birthday boy stand on the chair, get the restaurant's attention and request you blow off the candle from where I am standing without bending. So the pressure with the entire restaurant gazing at you and accomplishing the challenge of blowing off the candle (was only successful on my 2nd attempt). All these just make me wanna get things done and get over with. By the time I realise I didn't make my birthday wish, it was past twelve.
Movie with a friend. UP in 3D. Pixar's productions are wonderful, starting off with the touching short animation on the "friendship" between a cloud and a stork before the main heart-opening stories of the loving promise between Carl Fredricksen and his wife, Ellie to live by "Paradise" and the friendship between an endangered bird, Carl and a little scout. It was good. Like dim sum for the heart Except! The spects was heavier than expected. It caused my ears to hurt, largely because I was not accustomed to putting on spects.
The last few minutes after I officially became one year less a quarter of a century was well-spent with my god bro and his dear one. It was a simple "suaning" ("being criticised" in Hokkien) session. The good part was they waited for me as my movie finished 30 minutes late. They got this gold present, beautifully wrapped shimmering cream-colored ribbons. Bad part, got "suan-ed" by my god bro. To make things worst, that friend I had movie with suggested ostracizing me. I couldn't admit I was.. never mind. Retain the pleasant, discard the uglier ones.
Went out to have dim sum with Daddy and cousin @ the Fortunate Restaurant. The service is pretty bad. Trust me. Lemme share what's bad service. Bad service is having to sit and wait for tea to be served, look around, trying to viy for assistance and asking for normal dim sum items such as "zi bao gai" ("paper-wrapped chicken" in Cantonese). Good service, on the other hand, is constantly being pampered with choices, promptly served with assistant, filling of tea cup, and having stuff on the table to eat without time to look up for pushcarts.
No matter how my birthday's were celebrated, certain things never change. Firstly, I am contented someone remembers. It's a day my existence was affirmed. Secondly, I'll think of my mother and unwind the deep-buried misses of the days we used to celebrate my earlier birthdays. Thirdly, the smses I get without having me to initiate. Thanks everybody.
Personally, I feel adding a year to age doesn't mean anything unless we pay attention to the wisdom we've acquired. Apart from the undeirable denial of recognising you're ageing, this year I realised along the pave in life, some people leave, others comes to stay. What's wonderful is to live life and be thankful of the footprints they left behind, like a paint-drop, filling up the chapters in my book of life.
Happy birthday to me.
