My dear friends and sis,

Thanks a lot for what u've done for me. If you've realised before, I am such a "thinker". I always let my mind ask questions and then allow the questions to complicate my simple life too much. I would probably get classified under one of those conditions in DSM-IV-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision) if ppl don't know me but just my thoughts, but haha I know I'm still in the normal range la. Just different frequency... trying not to lose the naivety of questioning about things in life you know?

So, before 2nd September 2008, I was thinking to myself on the matter of my birthday. I know that I got all the love in the world and it's a thought that makes me really happy already, and I know that it's impossible to spend my birthday with the usual few people I love so much. That's why, I foresaw my birthday to be just like any other day I had spent in this semester, which is to look at my work, ponder a bit, try to start, wander off, come back and just keep doing this till I get it done (low concentration span...). That the usual few lovely people who can somehow surprise me by popping out from different places every year will really be unable to perform that stunt this time. But if there is a god, He/She really treats me well. He/She has "planted" so many nice and great people around me that what I foresaw was wrong.

I hadn't even realised that midnight was crawling near since I don't sleep so early and at 11.30pm, Miss Lim called. I know it's for my birthday, but I usually call home since I got pre-paid card but not everyone else so I was truly touched and happy that she had called me and that I heard her voice. And well, the world is so big and we can never truly grasp the concept of time, thus Miss Lim was disappointed it was still Teacher's Day not my birthday. =D But I was truly surprised cos it was not expected. Then, 10min before midnight, room phone rang. And the usual voice I hear just before my birthday entered my ear. Had to leave Miss Lim and waited with Miss Yu for midnight. Weird in a sense but definitely touched. And I thought I would talk to her like usual for an hour or two but then "knock, knock" and Xinyi was at my door. Gotta hang up and when I got out, my gosh, the few friends I made in this place got a cake for me and I am just so touched. You know how ulu this place can be? I can count the number of bakery there is here and tell you. One. Haha... and so the home-made cake was baked in the afternoon by dear Reshme, Greenie and Yina... I did tell Xinyi that I don't really want to celebrate my birthday so don't have to do anything so she cooked dinner for me on Sunday. I just feel so happy and touched cos I haven known her for long but this sem we clicked well and when she realised on sunday that my bday was coming (thanks to facebook), she grabbed stuff from her fridge and came to cook dinner and ate with me. =) So, Reshme came up with the midnight surprise and I really appreciate it that she took time to do that though she's been busy and all. Ha, I didn't give people here my blog add so they probably won't see this, but thanks Xinyi! Thanks Reshme! And thanks to everyone who dropped by for the kinda anti-social Me. =)

So, I thought that this is more than enough and there was more to come. I missed Qing's call and called her back only in the evening. My facebook started to flood and luckily, they sent msg to hotmail or I would only check next month! Then, there was smses from you all who didn't mind spending more for your September bill. And then, there were emails. The wonders of the Internet... And so, the best present arrived. Miss Lim and Miss Yu both informed me of their regret for sending out late mail for me and I truly think it's ok, but when I got out of my room in the afternoon, I found 2 familiar handwritings on 2 envelops lying on the dining table addressed to me! The best present ever... Thanks again my dear friends for thinking so hard of how to make up for the distance between us and trying to give me the same effect as I experienced in the past few birthdays. The two letters arrived at the same time and came on exactly the day it had to come.

Though I am deeply touched, somehow I hadn't cried. Haha... I'm not sure why cos I would say I'm quite an emo person but well, I realised that when it comes to the matter of tears, it's not up to me to control. Just like many other things in life. But it does not mean I'm not happy or touched, cos really, I am. Maybe just being a bit disoriented with doing my work. Mel called from Canada too. And I was in the shower. And it was 4.40pm, 3 September 2008. I came out and called her back. Haha and I realised she didn't use the word belated. And I thought it's ok, just a bit strange. Since I got her call, I'm happy enough cos the surprise should have really ended. And while talking, the issue about time came up and guess what? It was about 3am in Canada, date: 2/9/2008. Haha... she felt so upset and my dear Mel, once again, I'm sorry that I had pointed that out but u made me laugh throughout cos of the random shitty nonsense =D And thanks to Mel, I got a more user-friendly blog. I'm so sorry sis, cos I know that u can do a great job out of my blog but ur stupid IT-idiot dajie chose a skin that she din realise was so not user-friendly(at least for herself) and wasted ur time to change... I promise I'll settle for this one long-time!

And well, just got sms from Ho Kokleong and Lim Wensheng. Haha... the two of u are like so busy now and I truly can sense ur "sorry" for not getting it on the right day but no worries k? I alrdy take it that 2nd September has got 48hours since the older I am, the more international my friends have become, the less important is the boundaries between a day and the next. Well well, I've sensed all the deep deep love from everyone so no worries about me spending it away from home =) I'm not a very must-celebrate-birthday-and-all-other-festivals-big-style kind of person so as long as we've always been in touch, any time of the year, I'm happy enough.

I'll try to update as much as possible, but u noe la... I dun feel the urge to go on msn or facebook, so quite the same for this blog. But it's got a pretty face now so most prob I will come check on it again soon.

Miss you all really much and as I often say nowadays, I'll be back home real soon =D

Lotsa luv,
Me