life is a riddle

My hands and fingers are feeling numb. The last time this happened, I passed out in my kitchen soon after.

I remained sick and weak for weeks. I was so afraid I was going to die, or be paralyzed and most importantly losing my independence.

I remember when I woke up from passing out, I still felt numbness in my hands. And I was frightened at losing my memory. So I silently recited to myself: the alphabet, my birthday, lex’s and my anniversary, celebrity birthdays, lyrics – anything and everything that convinced me that I haven’t lost my brain matter.

I still remember the fear I had in me that day, and the weeks after that when I was recovering. I feared unable to do things by myself, to have to rely on others. I couldn’t stand the thought of it.

That was the closest I had to dying in my adult life. But I am no stranger to death.

In fact, the reason why I am still alive and the intelligent (yes I am) and creative individual that I am boils down to my neighbours who were doctors.

Had they not rushed me to the hospital, beating all the red lights – I would have been dead or at best brain dead. And did I mention that I was only 6 months old when that happened?

6 months, not 6 years. What could a 6 month old know about? Nothing. And there I was so close to death. I always wonder what would have happened, if I didn’t pull through then. Or sometimes, I wonder why did I pull through? Is there a reason? Was it a sign that I am a very strong person, even as a baby?

And then as I grew up, there are times when I wonder – what would it be like to die young? Would I be one of those people who died in their teens? Even now, I keep wondering things like – Would I be one of those people who die in their 20s?

Morbid I know, but I can’t help it.

For one thing, I have never pictured myself as an old lady. I don’t know why, but I just couldn’t imagine it. And we all know how crazy my imagination can get, so it scares me a little to not be able to even visualize how I’d look like maybe 40 years down the road. or even 20 years.

Perhaps it has to do with me afraid of getting old, I’ve blogged about it before. But it’s like the Flash Forward show. The guy who couldn’t see 6 months into his future – might be dead in 6 months.

Or perhaps it’s my child-like nature that prevents me from imagining things that adults and elderly go through. Like how some people stay forever young?

Whatever it is, everybody has got to go someday whether they like it or not. And as Dumbledore said, “Death is but the next great adventure!”

Maybe I’ll die before 30, or at the ripe age of 75 or just nice at 50. Whatever it is, I just hope to live my life to the fullest and leaving behind traces that do make a difference in people’s life, no matter how insignificant it may be.

Life is a riddle, and life is fragile. Maybe I survived the ordeal at 6 month old, because I am meant to do something great. Or perhaps I was given a chance to start my life on a new slate. There has to be a reason why I survived, because everything happens for a reason.

twenty six

Yesterday I turned 26. This was how I spent my day :)

I took leave for yesterday, just as I do every year on my birthday. As much as I have been accused (gasp!) of being a workaholic, I simply wouldn’t do it on my special day. This has been my practice since I started my work life, after graduation.

dsc05225

So anyway let’s continue with our story.

thomas sabo charm club

FP presented me with this box (okay previously it was in a longish paper holder thingy), and inside it was this:

thomas sabo charm bracelet

A lovely charm bracelet from Thomas Sabo! He has chosen three charms for me: a pink flower, a shooting star and a witch.

Why a witch? Because I like Harry Potter, apparently.

Why a shooting star and a pink flower? Because they just look nice :)

Fair enough, hehe.

Then we went to Ion Orchard for Swenson’s ice cream buffet! Kawan L, Kawan E & Kawan C were initially supposed to join us. But they didn’t :(

So anyway it was just FP and myself, having access to all the ice cream one could have!

swensons ice cream buffet menu

So for my first combination, I took – banana split, frosted chocolate malt and strawberry flavoured ice cream, with strawberries and marshmallow for topping! I really do love fresh strawberries and marshmallows. In fact, I am a marshmallow – just ask FP.

ice cream

His first bowl of ice cream, on the other hand, looks like this:

swensons ice cream

It consisted of sticky chewy chocolate, cookies and cream and butterscotch flavoured ice cream with chocolate malt balls, marshmallow (copy!), lychees and chocolate sticks as toppings. yum yum :)

For my second round, I chose very fruity selections. Actually, I’ve always preferred fruity ice cream flavours as compared to rich and creamy ones – so this was pure heaven to me.

fruity ice cream selection

This concoction comprises: mango-peach, rock melon and calamansi flavoured ice cream, topped with strawberries (again), lychees and longans. A very refreshing concoction – just as how I intended it :) The mango-peach flavoured scoop was extremely delightful and exceptionally refreshing, whereas the rock melon one was simply divine. I love!

FP’s next bowl:

ice cream bowl

Such a vast difference in how the ice cream and toppings are presented, lol. My bowls look way, way better :P I can be a food arranger on top of a food photographer next time, lol.

This bowl holds a scoop of black sesame, chocolate and strawberry flavoured ice cream each apart from the atap seeds, he also poured marshmallow sauce over the three flavours.

By this time we were both so bloated and pretty sick of ice cream. Actually in between bites of ice creams, we ordered fries and deep-fried mushroom, so that we won’t feel so overwhelmed with ice cream. It kinda worked.

deep fried mushrooms

I didn’t know this photo was taken until I was going through my camera just now. Looks like FP too can be a food photographer. /run

Then of course there was the episode of many many children singing Happy Birthday to me. I will not go too much into that, but of course he did plan for it. We’ll keep it at that ;)

But it was very sweet, thank you FP :)

And finally, the birthday cake:

birthday cake

This was my chocolate truffle cake from The Royals :)

Small and sweet, just like me. hahahaha!

Candle was blown and wishes were made (though not entirely because I was being egged on to blow the candle) and that’s the end of my day.

It was a special day with sweet surprises. I love it, and thank you FP for the wonderful day.

And thank you all of you who wished me in Facebook (flooded my wall), twitter, via SMS (these had the nicest bday msges I’ve received), by phone (love ya Kavz!) and in person (xoxo FP).

It was really nice being remembered and loved on a special day like your birthday, so thank you.

Here’s to number twenty six, and let’s live it to the fullest. And then feel emo again when number twenty seven comes along.

Related Searches:

swensons chocolate ice cream,fruity ice cream,ice cream,deep fried mushroom

Beyond a quarter of a century

princess_birthday_cakeimage taken from here

In less than two hours time, I will be saying goodbye to being 25 and say hello to becoming a 26 year old girl. woman. person.

I’m not sure why I am always so pensive on the eve of my birthday. A very good friend of mine once told me that birthdays are not for celebrating. She told me that a birthday is actually the most sacred of days. As your birthday draws closer, your soul becomes too vulnerable and in this time period, anything can happen.

At some point of time, your soul will become so vulnerable that there is a thin line between life and death.

Such is the seriousness of having birthdays, which makes me wonder in what way birthdays are supposed to be happy and joyous occassions?

And turning 26 has gotten me quite frenzied for a number of silly reasons.

1) it is a little over a quarter, making me 1/4 ancient
2) I don’t like even numbers. This is highly ironic because it’s normally when my age is an even number that my life seems better. Hmm.
3) I’m just emo and reflective for no reason at all

This doesn’t mean I’m not looking forward to my birthday and all the hush hush plans ;)

There is a reason why I take leave from work on my birthday every year. It may seem egotistical but hey, if I don’t love myself enough to do that, nobody will. To me, my birthday is always special because it is MY day and the begininning of my wonderful existence.

(yes my fans, I am indeed my biggest fan :P )

So to carry on with my explanation. So in my head since I was young (younger, I mean), my birthday has always been a sort of a personal holiday for me. I would look forward to it from the beginning of the year. A

And then start counting down to it a month before the actual date. It’s crazy, but true.

And don’t let me get started on birthday week and birthday month. I have it written somewhere, in an invisible clause that things should always go my way during my birthday month, and especially my birhday week.

If I could, I would have wanted a birthday year, but that would just be silly, won’t it? :P

But as I grew older (an wiser, hopefully), I have shortlisted it down to birthday week. Thank God I have a bf who indulges in my every whim and fancy – not that I abuse it :P

So as the clock strikes 12 later (though I was technically born at 11 am sharp!), I will look back to my year as a 25 year old and be happy with how much I’ve grown and to appreciate everything I have. And once I’ve done that, I can look forward to an even-year of 26.

The little girl who wanted to be a princess is always a princess. Bring it on :)

Of Prince and Princesses

Just want to share this, lol. For your info, these are just *some* of the crazy (but fun) people I have to work and deal with on a daily basis. What’s work without a little bit of insanity? :P

prince-princess1

And the one who claims she is “normal”, really isnt :)

But we all still love her dearly hehehe :P

Yesterday started really randomly. I came to office slightly late (what’s new?) and logged in to msn.

I then got bombarded by at least 6-7 “Good morning Princess!” only to find that the princess wasn’t actually me (hoho, there goes my princess complex) but VICTOR.

I told you I work with crazy people.

And that was how Princess Day started, and they all lived happily ever after :)