Seventeeth birthday and the days after.

Saturday started out nice. It was my 17th birthday. At midnight, the birthday greetings trickled in, my phone vibrating seconds apart from each message. Morning came, and I looked forward to meeting the gal pals. To be honest, I expected nothing more than a good get-together and perhaps feeling a little like a princess, doing whatever I pleased. It's my birthday after all!

Nerissa was earliest, as usual, and I made lighthearted banter with her.

"Eh, happy birthday!"

"Haha thanks..."

"Sorry ah, this year never get for you present leh."

"Oh, it's okay." I sincerely meant it, and I wasn't expecting a present. I felt happy enough that my friends cared to ask me out.

"Really meh. We don't get for you present you won't mind meh."

"It's okay one lah! Where's dinner, by the way?"

"It's a surprise!" And her eyes glittered.

Not long after, Erica came holding a big bag and I knew Nerissa was pulling my leg.


Ah, the dog that I've been hankering for, for a long long while. There's quite a history attached to it. It all started with the Angel/Mortal game we played in Secondary 2... Long story, though.

Valerie came after, and we made some small talk before deciding on watching a movie.


Stardust was a pretty good movie! It was quite wholesome. It's been a long time since I watched such a chaste and wholesome movie. The romance is romanticised, and not sex-ed up like it usually is.


We took neoprints too! I just wanted to commemorate the day, and furthermore, it's been way too long since I last took neoprints. YK commented that we looked like lower secondary kids. He covered up by suggesting that it could be a natural effect of neoprint machines.

We strolled around Orchard, and then Nerissa let me in that the "surprise" dinner would be at NYDC.

And then and then and then!

The boyfriend appeared right there and then! Was it an apparition? I stared harder. He really was there, with balloons in his hand! I was totally taken aback.I must have blushed furiously. I always do. I must have had a freakish grin permanently plastered on my face. That frequently happens when I'm in unfamiliar, uncomfortable situations. I sincerely thought that it would be a day solely spent with the gal pals, because the boyfriend had school, and he had promised a couple celebration the next day. I stood shell-shocked in the middle of the walkway.

My mind was still in a haze when we settled down at the seats. Everyone kept laughing at me, because I was the only one who wasn't let in on the conspiracy cooked up by my friends and the boyfriend. The surprise factor was further enhanced by the fact that I tend to keep my social circles separate, which means that YK does not interact with my friends, even though they both know of each other's existence. I felt so left out of things, and in essence, not in control.

But they still managed to do things without my knowledge! Ah, the conspiring little devils! Doing things behind my back... Behaving sneakily... Hiding the truth from me! But all in the name of a good ol' fashioned surprise.


Still in the throes of shock and surprise, and being completely caught off-guard, hence the maniacal laughter. A bouquet too! :D

Valerie: "Wah, I'm surprised that you weren't suspicious or anything. Normally you'd be very sharp."

Okay lor. The one time I let down my guard and decided to let my friends take charge of the day, they had to blow me away like that. They had to keep rubbing it in, initially refusing to tell me how they managed to weave such an elaborate plan without me knowing: keeping the veil of ignorance over me, y'know.


Cake. And a very jovial Erica.


I feel so loved. I think I said that quite a few times over dinner.


My pretty friends.


With the flowers that he got for all of us. Aww. Such a picture of joy and elation I look! I think I never felt happier.

It was the best birthday ever!


Gifts! You can click on the picture to zoom in and check out every single item. Seventeen different types of chocolate from the boyfriend to fuel my chocolate addiction! And absolutely no dark chocolate. Because I don't like it. I don't hate it, and I don't mind eating it, but I won't relish it as much as milk chocolate. I still have kiddy tastebuds, I suppose. Only sweet stuff for me!


This is the book that the girls got for me. And the whitening mask behind, of course. It's a clique thing to be fair. Hah. Isn't the book so apt? The Pleasure of Hating! Hahaha. Such a sense of humour, eh. They know me best!


He took the photos and bound the book himself for this photo album, which you can see in the top right hand corner of the presents shot. Random shots of me and us. I am not a very good model, but well, the photographer does what he can!



Bouquet! Aren't we bored of bouquets already? I feel a little sad for these poor things. I haven't got a green thumb, and all vegetation doesn't last long in my hands. I tend to mistreat these things, and practically speaking, the money could have been spent elsewhere. However, subjectively speaking, girls all secretly like vegetation. I swear, the pollen tampers with our hormones.

And the sewing book he got me! I've always wanted one, because it'll be handy to refer to. However, the high prices always put me off, so I never did get around to buying one. Isn't he so thoughtful and considerate and nice? And oh-so-supportive of what I do!



I happened to borrow the same book from the library, and it sure felt a little strange having two copies of the same book at home.

The last gift really takes the cake. It isn't really the last gift, and there are a couple more, but they are of such a personal nature that it'd be extremely taboo to mention those unmentionables. ;)


A tiara! This was Nerissa's idea.

YK: "This tiara is to replace the one your ex got for you. Besides, this one is smaller, so you can wear it normally."

WAHH. This appears as if I am still pining for a mere shadow of the past, which is totally untrue, ok. And it's not like I've been whining to Nerissa about my ex-boyfriend! But oh well, it's the concept that counts. Guess I can trash the old tiara, then!

And only a day after an exciting flurry of events, guess what!

I have...


Red hair!




It was quite frightful in the beginning, YK being a bad hair colourist and all. However, the vibrant red colour covered up the awry bleaching and all was well. It was a little jarring in the beginning, but I think I've gotten used to it. Differentiates me from the crowd. It did look a little lian-ish in the beginning, but it's alright now. Furthermore, Huang Zi thought it was nice! Though she said she will never get hair like that. -.- Which means she doesn't sincerely think it's nice! Hmph!

I went out with her yesterday to get her birthday present. I had intended to present to her a makeover, which consists of new clothes, new bag and new shoes. Unfortunately, I am unfamiliar with other body types except my own, which made the process quite difficult. She also gave me gifts for my birthday! Which are also of an extremely sensitive and private and intimate and personal nature that I am unable to tell you what they are. It's a secret between us two! Good friends share secrets. Hahaha.

All in all, the boyfriend gave:

1. Balloons
2. Bouquet
3. Photo book
4. Chocolates
5. Sewing book
6. *secret*
7. *secret*

Well, seven's my lucky number!

The friends gave:

1. Stuffed dog, with a history
2. Whitening mask - we all want to be fairer
3. Dove Amicelli chocolates - I mentioned to Nerissa that I'd like to buy boxes and boxes of that because I love hazelnut chocolates. I don't remember saying it, but she sure has a good memory!
4. On The Pleasure of Hating - Apparently they argued over which book to select. They wanted to get something on suicide, but decided that the content looked too blah. Do I really appear to be such a dark person? Grace also agreed that the book suited me.

Huang Zi gave:

1. A cutesy notebook
2. An octopus bookmark - Hahaha octopus. Jiu he. Okay it's not jiu he, which is cuttlefish, but it's the closes thing I can think of to octopus. I don't know the Hokkien term for octopus anyway.
3. *secret item* Oh man, I hold more secrets than I can bear.

Huang Zi is also extremely thoughtful and nice and she remembers stuff. I simply adore it when people remember what I said. Which is why I always like to know the behind-the-scenes process of acquiring gifts. It may take the magic and romance out of an otherwise seamless and flawless day, but real life isn't perfect anyway.

Aww. I also got a birthday song specially written for me by Frizal! Which was extremely nice of him! He strummed his guitar and sang. Here are a portion of the lyrics:

You're growing out of your skin Stop your brain from thinking Too many things

Hahah. Righhhht.

I'm sorry if I sound a little blase over my most fantabulous 17th birthday. It has been three days since it happened, and I can't help it if I got the photos three days past my birthday. Many people treat their 17th birthdays as an annoying in-between-legal-ages kind of day, but hey, my loved ones sure made it an extra special day! I am thankful, grateful, and I feel loved! Whee. Don't be surprised - I got friends, ok.

One last, slightly cynical comment: The only SMS I got from an NJ friend was Shabana. Well, not wholly unexpected, yet this clearly shows how life is unpredictable. Hmm.

I got red hair now, and I'm feeling feisty!


Want to watch The Pillowman?

Frikkin' expensive. Okay it's not that expensive, just that for someone like me who isn't an appreciator of the arts, it is a wee bit too pricey. But a stellar cast, yo! Surely it must be worth watching!

Good times.