Forty four and still alive

Well I turned forty four today. That means that I have been in this world as a human for the past forty four year (minus the 9 months or so tucked comfortably in my mother's womb). Forty four what a number, four plus four hey it's eight what does that means... great fortune coming for me!!!

As usual I don't fancy much about my own birthday celebration. Birthday to me it's just another number. For kids the number signify that they are growing up... but for me, the number as it increases signify I am not getting any younger but older. To me everyday should be a celebration of life. Birthday only signify the end of the circle and the start of another one. Staying alive for forty four years must be an achievement for me until today. BTW my father is older than me by 30 years, he's seventy four already.

I started the day no different from the rest. Woke up at 6.00 a.m. brush my teeth and went downstairs to boil the water, wash the cups and prepare my breakfast while waiting for my daughters to come down to go to school. Carrie, was the first to wish his father Happy Birthday. It touched my heart to received the first greetings for the day.

Then I am off to office and started the days as normal. Then my handphone sounded with a baby's voice "Alamak, ada message pulak" that's my SMS tone. It turned out to me Pauline Goh, it read " See tau, happy birthday! Surprise or not?" Well it was a surprise to receive an early SMS greetings from her. The next was a picture message from my wife. She was still asleep this morning when I left my house.

When the buzz of the office started, Leong Chee Moon was the first one who came to wish me happy birthday. Then there was Thiagarajan. Patricia surprised me with a gift ... a bar of Swiss chocolate. That was very thoughtful of her. Thanks Patricia.

I left the office at about 6.50 p.m. that's when the traffic "buka puasa". Reaching home and Darren greeted me with a birthday greetings. Carrie came with a plastic bag with "EXTREME" printed on it. It was my birthday present from the kids and my wife. It turned out to be a yellow "Billabong" designer T-shirt.

Birthdays in my family is celebrated by a cake. This year I got a Secret Recipe's Mocha Walnut cake. Four big candles were placed on top of the cake and another three small candle... what... three small candles? Someone got my age wrong!! Cake was cut and distributed among all in the family.. Delicious.

Another surprise, I logged on to check my mail. As usual, there were tons to junk mail. While going through the trash folder before emptying it... I saw the name "Ruby Wong" as the sender. What a surprise!! A birthday wish from Ruby all the way from Kuching. It make my day receiving her e-mail. Ruby.. we all missed you.

The thing that is different this time around for my birthday.. I got to document it on this blog. Never I have had the chance to document down all the events that have happen to me on such a day. Thanks to this blog, today will enable me to remember what actually happened.

Well tomorrow's another... life will have to go on as long as our body and mind will....HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me!!