(Left: dinner with family the night before, xiao long bao @ Holland Village Crystal Jade)
11:30AM - 20th January 2007
I awoke, lying on the bed still feeling lethargic even though I must've slept a good 8 hours. I picked up the phone. No messages. Half a year ago, the situation
would have been different, but then again, it 2007. Time has gone by in the blink of an eye and things are very much different from what I had expected.
Hours later, I headed down to NTUC to shop for groceries. For the first time, I invited my friends over for dinner, though I had absolutely no intentions to celebrate my birthday at all. But, you live only once and I guess it worth a try inviting the most honored friends over, just this once, just for an experience I never had, just to live it so I'd have little to regret in future.
3:30PM -
I'm racing with time, half wishing Michelle* could be around, half knowing that it would never ever happen this life (we had promised each other to do something like that together). I looked at the supplies piled up on the kitchen counter and I steadily began to sort them out. It was only a matter of time when I eventually got my chicken marinated, with plenty of olive oil, minced garlic, chicken marinate, soy sauce and a tablespoon of salt. Marinating your chicken is actually easy, once you get the right ingredients and the portions correct.
6:00PM -
Half an hour more before the guests turn up. Still racing with time, I attempted to get the main course going with decorations done. If only I had better supplies and better skills, I thought to myself. Half satisfied, I finally managed to set all the dishes on the table with a little help from my mother.
11:00PM -
Jacqueline, Jacob and Lawrence couldn't turn up due to their work, too bad, since Only my buddy Tianpeng, Mark, Justin, Andy and the wife came. Everyone enjoyed themselves... well almost, if I had enough time to set up a good after - dinner entertainment for them. Thanks to my friends, I've had the most pleasant birthday of my life. I wasn't actually expecting gifts but nevertheless, the gang bought the most useful presents for me. Thanks so much.
Above: A new slingbag from my sister. Courtesy of Justin, Mark, Andy and Ju respectively, Bottom: "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill, "The Power of Social Intelligence by Tony Buzan and skincare products from The BodyShop.
