picture in my mind

Don't quite know how to begin. My birthdays are really becoming quite an exciting event for me these past few years. When I was younger, I had lesser surprises, and I suppose looked forward to birthdays less. Although I did receive presents and such.

Well, woke up on the morning of 29th April, feeling perfectly normal. Got out of the house a bit late because I was rushing to print that blardy bio essay at 5.55am, and the printer was being cranky. I had to open and examine the inside of the printer a couple of times. So I caught the later 6.37 train from Tampines. When I got to Bishan, Nikki immediately started flashing her camera at me. Threw me off guard. Haiyoh, and that girl... She went around telling everyone who had the slightest knowledge of who I was that it was my birthday. She even tried to tell Ms Eva Hor. I was getting terrified.

Then we had an uneventful physics prac (where Anan plotted his centroid wrongly), in extremely hot, stuffy weather. And I got progressively moodier because I realised Jean didn't want to go for our planned prata outing. And then Jani decided to join her mugging session at the library! I was getting pretty annoyed. I mean, it's perfectly all right if I get no presents at all. But to want to MUG IN THE LIBRARY AND MISS GOING OUT FOR BREAKFAST WITH ME ON MY BIRTHDAY is pretty unacceptable. So I started to get snappish with Jean, as I do when she starts to bug me. (Haha, sorry Jean dear. But you know, we're practically like sisters. We bug each other and confide in each other.) But I had the hope that she'd change her mind after physics prac, but she didn't! Jani and Jean then parted from the remaining 5 girls in the class (Nikki, me, Jess, Grace and Shaf), saying their 'sorry's that they couldn't join us. By that point I was like... "Okay... Whatever." And tried to rationalise that, you know, perhaps some people do have more discipline than me and prioritise work over everything else. Oh, and Addy had her 'play' time as she always does on Friday, which is fine.

So the five of us went to the bus stop. We took 410 to Upper Thompson Road. And I was not enjoying myself as much as I hoped I would. I remember even forcing myself to smile, because well, at least Nikki was there and she was planning something, even though it was going to be smashing eggs on the top of my head, as I thought it would be. And at least Shaf and Grace and Jess were there.

I ordered egg prata, and was amused at the way Jess took charge of everything and how she's, you know, so assertive. Gosh, she makes me laugh. Oh, had milo dinosaur and realise it really is quite an amazing beverage. So chocolatey and good. Nikki and Grace then disappeared to the Macs toilet for a while and I briefly wondered if they were up to something, but then dismissed any such thoughts because my expectations had fallen low. Then, after we were almost done with devouring the pratas...

Jean and Jani appeared! With a Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie flavoured ice cream, and I remember being completely surprised! There was a candle stuck in the middle of the melting tub of ice cream and someone saying, "Blow! Blow!" So I did, because I was so completely taken aback, I was at a lost of what to do for that moment. Nikki snapped photos. Then I got my presents: A small bouquet of flowers from the girls, a looooong funny letter and body shop goods from Nikki, a gorgeous card with a knitted cover and a pair of dangly blue earrings from Jean. I was so happy. I was completely lifted from my gloomy emotional pit. Exclaimed quite a bit over both letter and card.

From Nikki:

"... today is undeniably one of the most important days ever - you have the right to drink (or refuse) alcohol, (knowing you, you will pick the latter, because firstly, it is haram and secondly it is quite disgusting but anyway, I digress); you can soon start to drive ANDAND AND you can marry. LEGALLY."

"Your blurness merged with the psycho you are is, quite frankly, a lethal laughter-inducing combination."

I cracked up while reading. Because she sounded so funny! And she called me a kacang puteh, otak senget oh so adorably blur girl-thing. Dearest Nikki, I love you lots. Despite everything. Muahaha. Thank you for this and for just, being you.

Oh, Jean's card is just gorgeous! I wish I could frame it up somewhere, but my room is already so cluttered, I dont know where to put it. And she deliberately misspelled my name on the envelope like the photog people almost always do back in RG. *rolls eyes*

Oh, then met Eunice... who got her lip cut with her own teeth when she fell during pe. (Honestly. Please be more careful and protect your god-given facial features.) And Yu Jie called and tried to spook me by pretending that she's nearby. Received numerous smses from all the birds and from other people. Received several wishes... from Yash too. An ecard from jiawen, a post in my gb from yeatian and an email from Sarah Siew. Oh, and we got a replacement for Yash for drama, much to her relief I think.

The birdieocrats have asked me to reserve Monday but won't tell me a thing about what's happening. I'm just supposed to wait for Monday to roll around. And they've also been sending me weird chapters of a weird chain story (or so it seems) about a leprechaun who caused me to shrink, about, inevitably, dearest DM, about some weird Board of Bimbos, about an Albinos Association and about some tanning business. Madness. And have asked me to figure this word out: R _ _ _M _ _ _ God knows what it is.

I got a lamb thingy that holds up paper from sis. Me and sis both adore my dear Elsie. She's so cute. Oh, our poor pet-deprived souls. Nothing from brother, but hey, he's a boy and boys, and all males practically, are like that. Unless it's their girlfriend's birthday.

Got another pair of earrings from rich lawyer aunt. Haha. Expensive ones and am wearing them now. Received money from my other aunts and mum's friend, Auntie Mariam. And umi got me a black sling bag with metallic buckles from Isetan and abah bought me platform shoes from Americaya. Umi was like, "Alah. You're still not taller than me after wearing that." I felt -_- Give up already. I have. And I'm fine with this, really. But sometimes wish I could sprout several inches just to make them happy.

So... I have been having quite a fantastic birthday weekend. Went out today after drama at matin's house (God, his cat is so fat and adorable and like a rug!) to eat lunch with cik dah (after what seems like AGES) and dessert at airport's swensens. It's been nice. And I'm feeling rarely optimistic.

I somehow feel I don't deserve all these nice things. You know how it's nice to get presents but you feel so... bad, for lack of better word, for receiving them. I sometimes think, when I get another present, enough enough! Don't want anymore. Haha.

Bro and sis are watching Jeepers Creepers 2 downstairs and feel compelled to go and see what they're exclaiming about. Haha.