24 hours of bliss

i think birthdays are fascinating little celebrations. we cut cakes, snuff out candles and hastily unwrap meticulously ribboned presents, all in the name of commemorating that 'i was born XX years ago!', and of course, not everyone discloses what XX is, so no-one really knows what's happening anyway.

emotionless musings aside, my birthday was brilliant, and the best i've ever had - though i suppose everyone says that every year. girlfriend has gushed without end on everything that happened, but spare me a moment to recount everything again :)

kai decided that getting me one present wasn't enough, so the lovely girl went totally out of her way to get me four! and no, not any 4 presents, but every present must have symbolism, importance and worth to me. dear, i think you've been doing too much lit S :P

the chocolate cake she made resembled a mutant muffin, but it was the best cake i've ever had!!! :) ok, so it tasted like milo powder [runs from kai] but she worked so damn hard to bake it and stayed up so late just for me, i don't care how it tasted or looked like. girlfriend's labour of love is always very, very much appreciated.

her assortment of presents also included a sack of starbucks coffee beans, the cutest CD holder i've ever seen in my life and...a brand new wallet!!! it's really my kind of material and design and it's all i could ask for. other than the fact it's too huge to fit into my pocket but nvm :P anyway, with girlfriend celebrating my birthday in such resplendent fashion, i feel rather pressured when October comes :X

we spent the better part of the day walking around orchard looking for a birthday present for myself [i mean, if you don't celebrate your own birthday why should anyone else?]. it manifested itself in a quaint pair of tartan walking shoes which my mum finds amusing somehow. hm. a nice addition to my walking wardrobe though :)

shar, my fellow May 11th celebrant! despite our rather separate celebrations don't change the fact that it's been a fantastic year and a half of car-pooling [recently ceased :(], talking nonsense and having an interestingly close friendship in a strange way. *hug* :)

*HUG GROOPEAS* yeah to the wonderfullest TSD group!!! :) vernie, mik, yish, ming, bob, makoto, you make the exhausting rigours of slotting more than bearable. thanks for the huge cake [how much did you guys spend on it?!] and being the closest i've had to a family outside of home. for all the bitching, stupid jokes and silly songs, it's not just my birthday you've made memorable but the last month or so as well.

then, of course, there's the real family to thank :) my sis gave me my first present, which she wrapped in 8 layers of wrapping paper and newspaper. my dearest sister has too much time on her hand, i swear. the CD she gave me is really nice, and i also presume she bought it so that she can rip it onto her own computer once i'm done with it :P my parents bought me a shirt each, which i shall proudly wear no matter what anyone else says. hahaha, the one my dad bought me is gonna make me look like his 40-smth golfing partners! but it's very nice :)

my grandma and my aunt gave my an angpow each. my aunt spelled my name wrongly!!! after 18 years!!! haha.. but i'm very thankful that they always rmbr my birthday without fail and esp now, that my grandma's just become a christian, it's even sweeter *grin*

final BIG thank yous go out to people like corrie, kim, smife, valentia, isaac and colin who, despite not being able to be with me on my birthday, nevertheless sent msgs and well-wishes that made me smile till my cheeks hurt :) to A52 and the TSDians, despite all the teasing about kai being a hard act to follow, i love all of you very much. the sprinkling of 'happy birthday' wishes from people in school like alvin, jasmine and even the teachers was much appreciated too :)

so, as i've been reminded at least 50 times yesterday, i'm 18. i can legally drink, watch M18 movies, go for R(A)18 plays and indulge in a variety of other such 'grown-up activities'. hoho, i'm trudging my way daily to greater independence, which i've wanted for so long and suddenly, it feels like anathema to me. i realised that i relish the loving support of all those around me and i don't ever want to lose that.

anyway. i won't do the gross thing and proclaim my love for kai all over the place [but i've already done it! hah! note the cunning irony.. lol.] she knows it, everyone knows it and she made my birthday beautiful in a lot more ways than one *smile*

work and lunch beckon :)