I finally turned 22 today! Boy time just doesn't stop does it? I just keep getting older and older! I remember having some 22 year old friends a few years ago and thinking they were old, well now I'm at that stage! I usually dread birthdays because you're reminded of how old you are. You also get all this attention and I'm not entirely comfortable with that, despite it being nice to know people still know you exist!
Now originally my mum had planned to take our family down to Hamilton with a few other family friends from church to go blueberry picking today and then come home just in time for Aonghas to go to work at night. I only found out the night before when I got home from dinner with my friends, that it had been changed to Saturday, when we had originally planned to go to the Chinese New Year Festival at the ASB Showgrounds! It eventually got postponed since they didn't have enough transport.
As for what to do on my birthday, we couldn't think of anything. I suppose if we didn't do anything, at least I got to have dinner with my
high school friends last night! We were thinking of having lunch but didn't know where to go. Jireh's family were heading out to Albany to drop Jireh off at a friend's place, so we decided maybe we'd have lunch at Wendy's and then check out the Westfield Albany Shopping Centre since we've only been there once before. Finally a plan!
Before we could do that though we had to deliver newspapers. I helped Aonghas with his run, and while we were delivering newspapers one of the ladies who is quite friendly to Aonghas came out to collect her paper. Aonghas told her it was my birthday and she went inside to get some chocolate for me! That was really nice of her!
Jireh's family were already waiting for us at Wendy's and Jireh gave me a birthday cake which was a surprise! It's become a bit of an Oddfellows tradition to give a birthday cake to the birthday person, but nonetheless I still wasn't expecting it. Thanks a lot Jireh!
We all ordered our food and my brothers, Jireh, Joylynn and I sat together to eat while the parents ate together.
Jireh soon had to go, and so he left early while his dad stayed behind and talked with my dad for a while before we all left for Albany.
When we got to Albany, we joined up with Joylynn and her mum before losing our dad as he went the wrong way to the toilet! We wandered around searching for him while checking out the stores. We came across a lady from church who said she had seen our dad come out of the book store! We eventually spotted him talking to a lady at some Chinese performing arts stall!
Once we were reunited, we had a wander around. Our mums went to check out some stores while us guys and Joylynn checked out other stores like JB Hi Fi. We had a go at the Xbox Kinect which was quite amusing! I think it was the first time everyone else had tried it, while I had tried it at
my friend's 21st late last year.
We rejoined a little later and checked out a few more shops before I came across my old primary school friend Hussein! I thought I saw him travelling in the opposite direction before but didn't think much of it, but it did turn out to be him!
It was soon time for us to go as Aonghas had to get to work by 6pm. It was just as well we left when we did, as the motorway was moving at a snail's pace! Aonghas got to work on time which was good.
We got dropped off at home while our mum went to buy takeaways for dinner, and while she was gone I got a surprise from Chen when he came by to give me a birthday card and a $20 iTunes voucher as a birthday present! That was the only birthday present I had received today, except for my cellphone case and screen protector Aonghas bought for me (and decided not to ask me to pay him back, thanks Aonghas!).
I was also given a birthday card from Joylynn last Sunday at church which she had made for me. That was really kind of her! Thanks heaps, Joylynn. I really appreciate it!
I also got a surprise in the mail when I found a birthday card Eva had also made for me! It came complete with a sticker of The Simpsons on the back, and a drawing of Charmander (my favourite Pokemon!) on it! That was really nice too, thanks so much Eva!
In addition to the cards I received and the cake, I got a couple of nice birthday emails from Hyun who updated me on his and his brother's life over in USA, and Grace who sent me a picture of her with her bo lor bao and the one I gave her for her birthday last year (I think mine looks yummier right? haha just kidding!). Thanks guys!
What also made my birthday warm and fuzzy were the birthday wishes people sent me via text and Facebook (thanks Facebook for reminding people! haha) I even got a text from my cousins Janice and Korina who were still holidaying over in Fiji!
So just to thank everyone individually, thanks Uncle Peter, Andromeda, Mimi, Diane, Dillon, Joseph, Derik, Carmen, Teresa J, Leo, James Z, Troy, Samantha, Rhea, Kevin, Sean, Alfred, Uncle John, Casslyn, Dora, Daniel, Jennifer, Ai Ping, Andrew W, Anisha, Suzy, Sofie, Jess, Clint, Alton, Johnny, Aunty Grace, Ellyce, Amanda, Mary, Amanda-Jane, Jonathan S, Julie H, Matt C, Sasha F, Joylynn, Paul, Chen C, Irene, Samira, Simon T, Eddie, Daisy, Allan, Himesh, Jacqueline, Gavin, Micheal ZYD, Harris, Nadine B, Ali Y, Storme, Michael Y, Yeeping, Stephanie P, Eva, Henry, Kasanita, Antonia, Kathryn, Szelin, Shameela, Monisha, Josefia, Stephanie T, Amelia, Amy C, Sabrina, Jenny, Timothy Y, Annette, Phillip W, Harley, Grace W, Danielle J, Maxine, Kaylee, Sonja, David C, Julia, Ziheng, Mubashra, Jacky, Angel, On, Joon, Harjinder, Derek, Wasif, Katherine, Vanessa T, Jireh, Megan J, Karen, Joanne T, Neha, Sharon W, Hyun, Kathleen, Elena, Ayesha, Kelvin, Min-Ran, Phillip M, Ruby, Grainam, Seb, Sachiko, Mandy W, Chloe L, Ray, Jamie, Yerin, Scholastica, Peter C, Britney, Joanne L, Bliss, Aneesya, Lina, Amy L, Tristan, Natalie, Julie K, Matthew G, Winston, Hannah, Xin-Ran, Katrina, Fraser, Grammy, Lance, Nikaela, Edwin, Emily, Tim S, Navya, Natasha P, Martyn, Anuprita, Alyssa, Tim, Kimberley, George, Hana, Lucy L, Teresa W, Gwen, Janice, Korina, Kunsala, Zippo, Melissa C, Angie, Ruth, Joylynn, Sachin, Lunshen, Leonie, Nadine, Alex S, Jane, James K, Cleo, Rebecca, Cookie Bear, Sarena, Shrikkanth, Nick, Larry, Shen, Lindsey, Zahir, Chen and Anzie for the birthday wishes! (hopefully I didn't forget anyone!)
