She's turning 17 today! WHA-??Quick, sound the alarm! Call the Fire Brigade! Call the Ambulance! Call the Police! Somebody has to stop this!
Growing up so quickly should not be allowed!
It should be.. it should be...made illegal if you ask me!
She was just sweet 16, just! Now it seems like she is vrooming into adulthood. What's the hurry I'm askin' you, what's the hurry, huh? Speed kills!
I don't wanna think about it, I don't wanna talk about it, I don't wanna blog about it.
Oh, waydeminit, I have to blog about it cos my memory is going and sometimes I'm not even sure who is who in the photos. Tammy (Tamara Jayne) sometimes looks SO like her older sister, Joni..
(Tammy on left, Joni on right)
(Joni on left, Tammy on..no, Tammy on left...wait.....Jo...)One day you're a weelittlecutiechickenpie (like the one Sin Yee's aunt makes)...
and the next, you've suddenly blossomed!
One day you're just a little pig-tailed girlie...
And the next you've suddenly shot up!
Even overtaking your sister, 9 years your senior!
(sister, Joni, is sitting on Tammy's lap)At 17, you've already been to Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and India
And soon you'll be going to New Zealand...aaaah....New Zealand.......
.
.
.
.
.
(Ok, so Tony Willis isn't exactly New Zealand but gimme a break man, he's all I got. It was either him or a bunch o' sheep. And who'd rather have a picture of a bunch o' sheep? Ok, don't answer that. I don't know why I invite trouble like this)
At 17 you can speak Thai, you can sing well, you can write poetry...
As a Malaysian Chindian* (*a coined word meaning Chinese+Indian - of mixed parental heritage) you've sometimes gone Chinese...
sometimes Indian...
and sometimes (just thrown in for good measure) even Punjabi...
(I hope it isn't any indication of an identity crisis)At 17, you've just been an MC for a wedding dinner with 700 guests!
At 17, you've just been a Maid of Honour...
Someday you're gonna meet your own Prince (and I'm gonna come to pieces) who may not look like anything you envisage now...
.
.
.
.
.
wait..
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.
.
coming...
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hold your heart..
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.
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but you know how the story can go....On this your 17th birthday, I, your Mommy, want you to know that regardless of your roots
meaning, regardless of the fact that sometimes your Dad is a little...umm...strange
and your Mom doesn't always show you the kind of affection you may want
if ever you find yourself all alone..
abandoned..
drowning....
your family will always be there for you.
Even if you find it difficult to believe it sometimes.
Cos blood runs thicker than water.
Love you heaps, Tam.
Val, this is such a lovely piece, and you were worried of not having enough to work on a scrapbook, this blog beats the scrapbook hands down ...
ReplyDeleteTammy dear, Happy Sweet 17 ... may there be mmany more wonderful years to come. Stay sweet and charming (and well beyond your years) till the day you meet thee prince charming ...in the meantime your mummy has to hold her breath ...
Thank you mommy! Love you more! :D
ReplyDeletehahaha. love uncle paul's pics!
ReplyDeleteHuda, you're literally part of this wacky family already! i just realised every one in my family has been lugged to TS for something or other, haha! thanks for being such a friend to all of us.
ReplyDeleteTam - sob.
ReplyDeletebryan ... -__-
ReplyDeleteMRS RATNAM! you've got such lovely daughters! Such a beautiful tribute for an equally beautiful 17 year old! I love the write-ups to the (funny) pics ... and YES... I loved Paul's pics best! lol! P.S. I really loved the last pic of Tam (caught my sons looking at it... lol!)
ReplyDeleteyou never cease to bring a smile to my face when I read your blogs. And where do you get all those funny pictures from... you stalk your family don't you!!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday Tammy. May God keep you sane forever (with a family/mother like yours, you need sanity!) Love your stories Val... keep them coming!
xx, pam
patricia boo - re: last pic of Tammy - keep your sons away or else.
ReplyDeletere: pic of Paul -__-
pam - my blog keeps me sane in this family, ok?
stalking my family? SSHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!
you know what .. Tammy is precious and I for one am glad you have taken all these pixs and trouble (??? nah .. dun think so if i knew you) to write up this beautiful tribute to her 17 yrs .. there will be many 'other' things to write on .. like how the stone frog turns into a charming .. charming .. SON IN LAW (!!) .. hahahha.. Greatly enjoyed it .. and yes, she looks great. Er.. Paul .. ada shot gun oredi ah?
ReplyDeleteandrew
http://andlind3.blogspot.com/
Andrew - awww, thank you. That's so sweet of you. Every child is precious. Joni as she's the first born, Darren cos he's the only son, then there's Tammy the baby. how like that? how like that?
ReplyDeleteTold you I read this.. :) what to comment ah? hahaha
ReplyDeleteMrs Ratnam ... I stand corrected! My boys said I was mistaken - they said that they were only looking at Paul's pics too ... as he has a knack for being the highlight of the pics in your blogs ...really, I kid you not! He is a 'natural'! lol ... Paul should join Indy Nadarajah and Allan Perera in 'Comedy Court' ... I bet they'll put on an even better show ...
ReplyDeleteAwww.... Haha.. :)
ReplyDeleteway too sweet, and u made me cry :P
ReplyDeletewonderful mom n daughter . hope one day my mom can remember my birthday . sweet memory <3
ReplyDeleteHi Val! Finally I'm able to leave my comment here on your blog. I hope it's not too late to wish your Tammy a belated, sweet 17th birthday! I truly enjoyed reading your write-up on this beautiful tribute to all of Tammy's 17 years! I wish I was part of this happy family. Don't forget to send my regards to Paul (hope he still remembers me)!
ReplyDeletepatricia boo - ok ok, if you say so. :)
ReplyDeletejaywern - man of few words? hee hee.
hersheys - aiyoh, had no intention to make anybody cry, sowwy! i have chocolate for you to make you feel better....
esther lin - you can ask Tammy whether i am the remembering-birthdays kind or not. but i thought this was what i could do for her as a birthday gift ie blog about her.
anonymous- a bit difficult for Paul to remember an anonymous person?!! we have enough problem remembering people with names! hahahah! if you identify yourself we will try to recall who you are...muaks.
<3 such a meaningful post aunty val <3
ReplyDeleteroxsta pam - seems like we haven't seen you for so longgggggggg....miss you lah. :)
ReplyDeletefrom facebook:
ReplyDeleteBrandon Cher Yeek Jeun April 11 at 8:55pm
so sweet and envious! :)
hey brandon - thanks for your comment but what are you envious of?
from facebook:
ReplyDeleteBenjamin Teh April 12 at 1:43am Reply • Report
Enjoyed your blog - love the way you piece up to pictures into the story. Quite a photo story. Call me if you want me a do a family portrait - if you are not printing I can do it for free for special friends like you all.
hey Benjamin, thanks for the offer! we'll have to figure out something as it is really difficult to get us all together in one place at the same time.
ReplyDeleteSeriously Val, Take up my suggestion and become a story writer ! This is an awesome piece !
ReplyDeletefrom facebook, 20th April 2011
ReplyDeleteTony Willis to Valerene Matthews
I'm sooo glad that I could share a few days with you guys here in NZ and I'm glad that Tammy likes the book :) - But really Val?? Couldn't you find a better picture of me??
Tony - but I LIKE that pic of you! suave...
from facebook:
ReplyDeleteTheresa Chryssanthi Wong April 20 at 10:33pm Reply • Report
Happy Birthday Tammy.......sweet 17.........hugs......
tony goh - I don't think I believe in myself quite as much as you believe in me! in fact, that made me laugh! hahaha!
ReplyDeleteaww!!! LOVE this post! straight from the heart.
ReplyDeletealso love the pic of tammy's expression with joni on her lap. ahahha. classic. and unc paul too. LOL. even more classic.
Sarah Lim - thanks. you know how this family rolls...
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you so much for leaving me the link to this post! How fun to read about your beautiful baby! It is so hard when they grow up, but so fun too!
ReplyDeleteYour family is beautiful.
Thank you, Theresa. Wish I was half as good with photos as you are!
ReplyDeletehi val, such a beautiful post. you have such a gorgeous family.
ReplyDeleteBrandi! well, hello from Malaysia! and thank you so much. you're so kind.
ReplyDeleteVal, I just could not stop reading it yet I did not want it to end!! Wonderful work and beautiful pics.
ReplyDeleteValnic - thank you...so now friends like you from way over there know a lot of what's happening in my life....hahahaha! (one way only...sigh)
ReplyDeleteVal, you have a fun loving family, your gorgeous daughters, they look like twins! Kinda getting to know your family even before I can meet them in person, haha!
ReplyDelete